Can Anthony Joshua beat Daniel Dubois to return to the top?

Few sporting occasions grip the nation like an Anthony Joshua fight and the entire UK will be watching this weekend as he returns to the ring.

The 34-year-old meets Daniel Dubois on Saturday and he’ll be looking to win back the IBF heavyweight belt that he forfeited to Oleksandr Usyk three years ago. Joshua has enjoyed a steady return to the top and he’ll already be thinking about taking on the biggest heavyweight hitters – but he’ll have to get past Dubois first.

AJ targets winning Wembley return

All eyes will be on Wembley on Saturday evening as Joshua takes on Dubois in a thrilling main event in the capital. It will be Joshua’s 13th world title fight and a win will see him become world champion for the third time.

Dubois is set to put his IBF heavyweight title on the line having been elevated to champion after Usyk vacated the belt. And the fight could have huge implications for the future of the heavyweight division.

Joshua hasn’t fought at Wembley in almost four years but he’s seen plenty of action of late. His last bout saw him take on UFC star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia and he showed his class by taking the win by knockout in just the second round.

AJ is on a run of four consecutive wins, having also defeated Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius and Jermaine Franklin in 2023. That run of victories has restored his reputation following two successive defeats to Usyk in which he forfeited his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles.

One of those belts could be back in his hands come Saturday night but he’d be wise not to underestimate Dubois. The Londoner has fought more recently than Joshua, beating Filip Hrgović by TKO in Riyadh in June.

He has just two defeats so far in a formidable professional career. One of those came against Usyk in Poland last summer but, considering the Ukrainian has beaten everybody he’s faced in the ring, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

As well as Hrgović, Dubois has also defeated Jarrell Miller since his defeat to Usyk, beating the American by TKO in December last year on the same card that featured Joshua’s win over Wallin.

AJ is the heavy favourite to come out on top but Dubois will be desperate to prove himself. The 27-year-old will be well aware that doubters will feel he hasn’t earned his title as the belt was given to him by default, so he’ll have a point to prove to show he deserves it.

How could this fight shape the heavyweight division?

With Joshua expected to beat Dubois on Saturday, he’ll already be thinking about who his next opponent could be. And it may well be the winner of the upcoming showdown between Usyk and Tyson Fury.

The pair are set to lock horns again in December after the rematch clause was activated following their last bout. As well as beating Joshua and Dubois previously, Usyk added Fury to his list of victims as he won by split decision in Saudi Arabia in May.

With Usyk currently still holding the titles he took from Joshua, AJ will want the chance to become the unified heavyweight champion of the world if he gets past Dubois. That could mean a third fight with Usyk, or perhaps even a long-anticipated battle with Fury if he gets his revenge later this year.

A Joshua Fury fight has been rumoured for many years. The pair have long been tipped to go head-to-head and there have been many reports of discussions, agreements and drop-outs.

While anticipation for the fight has slightly dwindled in recent years, it would still be a blockbuster event and would inevitably go down as one of the biggest all-British fights in boxing history.

Joshua v Dubois undercard

Tyler Denny vs Hamzah Sheeraz (European middleweight title)
Anthony Cacace vs Josh Warrington (IBF super-featherweight title)
Joshua Buatsi vs Willy Hutchinson (WBO Interim light-heavyweight title)
Josh Kelly vs Ishmael Davis
Mark Chamberlain vs Josh Padley

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