Dubois vows to KO Joshua in IBF title clash
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois
Daniel Dubois has boldly declared his intention to knock out Anthony Joshua in their upcoming IBF heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium on September 21, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 26-year-old Briton, who brands himself as “a good destroyer,” is confident he can deliver only the second knockout defeat of Joshua’s professional career.
“I aim to knock him out. That’s the programme. That’s the mindset; that’s the intention coming into this fight,” Dubois told Sky Sports.
“I’m going to focus my whole life on destroying him and just being a good destroyer, a good conqueror. Don’t wait. Go out there. Smash him.”
The highly anticipated all-British clash will see 96,000 fans create an electric atmosphere at Wembley Stadium, a venue familiar to Joshua but new territory for Dubois. This will be Dubois’ first fight at England’s national stadium, adding to the pressure on him and his team, led by trainer Don Charles.
Joshua, 33, is coming off four straight wins, including a knockout victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
The two-time former world champion recently refuted claims that Dubois nearly knocked him out during a 2016 sparring session, saying, “He just cracked me with a good shot. I stood on my feet. I don’t know where this whole narrative of someone turning my lights off came from.”
Despite Dubois’ confidence, many in the boxing community are backing Joshua to emerge victorious. European champion Tyler Denny believes Joshua’s power gives him the edge, while former world champions Liam Smith and Josh Warrington also favour the more experienced fighter.
However, Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang has tipped Dubois for the upset, stating, “I personally favour Daniel Dubois to pull this off because he’s on a surge. He’s young, he’s hungry, he has the fire in him.”
As the September 21 showdown approaches, both fighters are in top form and hungry for victory. Dubois, coming off consecutive stoppage victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, is determined to dethrone Joshua and become the new heavyweight king.
The bout promises to be one of the most anticipated heavyweight clashes of the year, with Dubois vowing to go through whatever he has to in order to achieve victory. “No retreat, no surrender. And go out there and perform like a warrior,” he
declared.
