Renowned boxing analyst Tony Bellew foresees Anthony Joshua emerging victorious over Daniel Dubois swiftly if they were to meet in the ring on September 21st. However, the likelihood of this fight taking place remains uncertain, with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn stipulating the availability of the full IBF title before finalizing any such bout.
Bellew expressed doubt regarding Dubois’ defensive capabilities, suggesting that he may succumb to Joshua’s potent right-hand blows, leading to a speedy defeat by the hands of the seasoned Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs).
Pointing out Joshua’s recent track record of knockouts, Bellew referenced Joshua’s impressive second-round victory over Francis Ngannou in March. Additionally, he noted Joshua’s quick triumphs over Charles Martin and Gary Cornish in his earlier career stages, highlighting that they were against significantly inferior opponents compared to Dubois.
While acknowledging Dubois’ resilience, Bellew praised his performance against Filip Hrgovic but underscored the stark contrast in facing a caliber opponent like Joshua. He also discussed Hearn’s strategy of matching Joshua against less challenging opponents following his losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Conclusively, Bellew lauded Dubois for his effort against Hrgovic but critiqued the latter’s perceived skill level. Bellew drew a parallel between Dubois’ tactics in the fight and the iconic “rope-a-dope” strategy employed by Muhammad Ali against George Foreman.
