"Joshua Has Lost the Fear of Defeat," Says Hearn

Matchroom Boxing’s head Eddie Hearn has shared insights into the confidence of former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) as he prepares to face IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs).

“The feeling is that the fear of defeat is gone. After losing to Andy Ruiz and the losses to Oleksandr Usyk, and having gone through that before, it's no longer about ‘what if it happens again’—he's been there. He knows how much it hurts. We're not looking at this fight (against Daniel Dubois) thinking, ‘There's immense pressure if you lose to Dubois, what could happen?’

We're just excited about this fight, and I know it sounds standard, ‘Oh, he's had a great camp,’ but he really has had a great camp. He's working incredibly well with his coach Ben Davison. He's giving it his all, and I think this is a really tough fight.

I think it's a dangerous fight. I'll be curious to see how Dubois responds. It will be interesting to see if Daniel can handle the pressure. I know he fought Usyk in Poland, but this is going to be the moment when his knees start to shake. And you need not just big guts, but a really strong mind to hold yourself together in such moments.

I think this might make Dubois fight more chaotically, which again is dangerous. But I believe, regardless of the fight plan, it will be tough for him to adjust during the match. I don't think he'll keep his composure, which could turn this into a shootout—a very, very dangerous fight. But at this stage, there's no fear of defeat. Joshua embraces every challenge, and in this case, there’s a world title on the line,” said Hearn.

The bout between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will take place on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London, UK. The winner may potentially face the victor of the rematch between WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) and Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs).