Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois: Battle of the Reborn or Clash of Optical Illusions?

All of this should be prefaced by saying that Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois, from Wembley Stadium this Saturday, is a good fight and a meaningful fight– even with bogus “world title” status from the IBF gunking up the story.

Joshua-Dubois is a clash of top heavyweights jockeying for a shot at the actual world champion. As such, there’s intrigue.

Stylistically, this is also a compelling pairing as both are giants who can legitimately crack.

Both fighters are riding high on waves of momentum, each coming off consecutive high-profile knockout victories after embarrassing, career-questioning high-profile losses.

But there are lots of doubts surrounding both fighters, all begging the question of whether either is substantially rebuilt and put back on the road to success or if their boxing makeovers are merely the result of good matchmaking and fortuitous circumstances.

Joshua, for example, looked tepid, tentative, and somewhat stylistically confused as recently as 2022-2023, when he dropped a second decision to Oleksandr Usyk and then tentatively muddled his way through a points victory over Jermaine Franklin right after that. And, truth be told, “AJ” hadn’t really looked like anything resembling a modern day great for a long time prior to those fights, either– at least not since he was upset by Andy Ruiz back in June of 2019.

However, a shellacking of Robert Helenius (who was fighting on seven days’ rest after having fought the week prior) and even worse shellackings of one-time sparring partner Otto Wallin and former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou revitalized Joshua’s public image.

The story then became, “Joshua is back…He’s happy in his old skin again and back to his old search and destroy style!”

Working under new trainer Ben Davison since just before the Wallin fight, after a series of dalliances with other coaches, the spin was there to be used (and used and used). AJ and Davison have just ‘clicked’ and everything will be lollipops and gumdrops from here on out.

UK legend Ricky Hatton has even re-spun the spin when recently asked about the main difference he sees in Joshua now, as opposed to when he appeared to be floundering.

“I think the main thing is he’s happy,” Hatton told Mail Sport. “That is the main reason why we’re seeing an Anthony Joshua that is enjoying his boxing again and looking very impressive while he’s doing it.

“Joshua is in a happy camp. You have to say that he looks like he’s really enjoying working with Ben Davison…He’s got the swagger back. He’s found his confidence again as a fighter. That helps you relax. When I see Joshua in the ring, I see a calm man. I didn’t see that when he fought Usyk.”

Well, how much of that calmness and happiness and ring success is due to the fact that AJ has been fighting the likes of Ngannou and Wallin and not Usyk? Probably, a lot. A fighter running through opposition tailor made to be crushed is going to look much more impressive and ‘in control’ than one facing elite-level competition. Duh.

Until Joshua goes out and faces an elite once again, there’s no real way to determine how “back” Joshua really is.

Dubois, meanwhile, is pretty much in the same place Joshua is.

After taking a knee against Joe Joyce in 2020 and being utterly shut out and, ultimately, shut down by Usyk in 2023 (after one brief borderline low blow dropped Usyk), “Dynamite” has had some eye-catching success. He stopped Jarrell Miller in December of 2023 and then stopped the favored Filip Hrgovic on cuts in the eighth round of a back-and-forth affair this past June. Both were good wins, but the latter helped counter the reputation he’s earned as someone lacking in resolve.

But neither victory was, necessarily, an indication that Dubois is better or worse than previously believed. Miller is, well, Miller…and there’s no guarantee that Hrgovic, sans cut, wouldn’t have eventually pushed Dubois into a collapse. The “this is a new Dubois” narrative could just be, as it could be with Joshua, a case of good fortune and good matchmaking.

People will just have to wait and see what’s what and who’s who when Joshua and Dubois meet in the ring. It could be that both fighters are rebuilt and reborn. It could be that neither is.

So, add another point of intrigue to this Saturday’s heavyweight clash.