"He's Become a Different Beast": Experts on Joshua vs. Dubois

On September 21, Wembley Stadium in London, UK, will host a bout between former champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and IBF heavyweight titleholder (over 90.7 kg) Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs). Renowned boxing experts shared their opinions on the British showdown.

Former world champion and Pro Box TV expert Paulie Malignaggi noted the changes in Joshua after he started working with trainer Ben Davison. "I'll tell you, with Ben Davison, AJ is a different character. Anthony Joshua has become a different beast. I like what I see from Joshua, so I don't know if this is the same AJ who lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk. But we'll see," Malignaggi said on Pro Box TV.

British ex-champion and The Ring magazine's 2005 Fighter of the Year Ricky Hatton believes that both fighters are in peak condition, making this the perfect time for Joshua and Dubois to fight.

"I think AJ will beat Daniel because he's bigger than Dubois, which says a lot because Daniel is a real fighter. But Anthony's confidence is back. You can also say that about Daniel after his last two fights. Now is the perfect time for this fight; they are both in great shape. I think Joshua has a bit more in his arsenal," Hatton said in an interview with Prime Casino.

Former world champion and current Pro Box TV expert Chris Algieri also noted the excellent form of the fighters and expects an exciting bout.

"This is a great fight. Dubois showed heart in his fights against Miller and Hrgovic. He’s a big, athletic heavyweight who can both take and deliver a punch. Usyk's victory over him looks even more significant. Dubois broke Hrgovic’s will, and those two fights changed his career. Joshua also looks phenomenal lately, though he used to seem very vulnerable. Both looked vulnerable, but now they look very dangerous—you can expect an exciting fight at Wembley. Joshua has performed phenomenally in his recent fights. Before that, he looked vulnerable. There were flaws in both fights, but they have changed at the right time. So you can expect an exciting fight," Algieri wrote in an article for Boxing Scene.

British ex-champion and expert Carl Froch believes that this fight should have been for the IBF interim title or the British championship.

"I don't understand how this fight can be for the IBF title. I don't understand how the winner of this fight can raise their hands, holding a beautiful red-and-gold belt. This should have been a fight for the IBF interim title or the British championship. These are two British fighters who lost to Usyk. Alexander shouldn't have been stripped of the IBF belt. Usyk is the undisputed champion, and now AJ and Daniel will fight for the championship title. You can't raise your hand at the end of this fight and call yourself a world champion. You both lost to Usyk—Dubois once, Joshua twice. So it’s unfair," Froch said on his YouTube channel Froch on Fighting.

The winner of the fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will likely face the winner of the rematch between Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) and WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), which will take place on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.