Anthony Joshua Returns in a Battle of Britain

Former world heavyweight champion and sporting celebrity Anthony Joshua returns to the ring this weekend for an all-British showdown with fellow Londoner Daniel Dubois. The heavyweight pair clash at the home of English soccer, Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening. A capacity crowd will be in attendance while millions more sports fans follow the action worldwide on television and live-streaming apps, thanks to DAZN.

AJ is the pre-fight favorite at the best Vegas betting sites as the towering 6ft 6inch orthodox boxer aims to capture a 29th career win from 32 outings. Victory on the Wembley turf would catapult Joshua back into title contention, and there will be a meeting with the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury, which is scheduled for Saudi Arabia in December. Anthony has already lost twice to Oleksandr, while followers of boxing dream of a Joshua vs Fury meeting early in 2025.

Joshua may arrive at Wembley on the back of an impressive four-fight winning run, scoring knockout victories in each of his last three, but he faces a dangerous opponent in Dynamite Dubois. The 27-year-old from the UK capital boasts a fearsome 95% knockout average and plans to use his power to spoil the party on Saturday. Can the underdog cause an upset by beating Joshua?

We’ve enlisted the help of boxing writer and former professional fighter Frankie Monkhouse, who gives Slither-io.com readers an in-depth preview of Joshua vs Dubois with his expert predictions attached. Who will win on Saturday? Keep reading to find out.

Joshua arrives in great form

Anthony Joshua is preparing to step into the ring for the 32nd time, and the opening three minutes against Dubois will be the 163rd on his CV. The Englishman made his debut at the O2 Arena, London back in October 2013, just months after winning the super-heavyweight gold medal at London 2012. AJ recorded a first-round knockout win that evening, quickly beating opponent Emanuele Leo. Early KO wins became a feature of the early part of Joshua’s career, and he beat his first 14 opponents in three rounds or less.

As the old saying goes in boxing, you don’t get paid for overtime, and Joshua is a fighter who likes to deal with opponents using his fierce power and natural speed. AJ has won each of his last three bouts by KO/TKO, stopping Robert Helenius in round seven, Otto Wallin in round five, and former UFC world champion Francis Ngannou in round two. Fans would love to see another show-reel knockout, and the fighter’s recent form suggests they might get their wish. Armchair fans can expect a frantic start to Joshua vs Dubois as two big-punching heavyweights collide.

Despite carrying 28 wins, 25 inside the distance, and a near-90% knockout average, Joshua certainly isn’t unbeatable. He has lost three times in his career, knocked out by Andy Ruiz Jnr at Madison Square Garden, New York, against all the odds. Joshua also lost back-to-back fights against Oleksandr Usyk in London and Saudi Arabia, with both defeats coming on the scorecards. Those stats serve as a reminder to fight fans that anything can happen in this sport, and fights often change in the blink of an eye.

Dubois brings the power

He may be the underdog with fans, pundits, and betting traders, but Daniel Dubois shares a ring with Anthony Joshua on merit. The young Londoner’s professional boxing record shows 21 wins against two defeats, with all but one of his victories coming by way of knockout. He has lost two fights inside the distance, proving Dynamite Daniel Dubois is an all-or-nothing fighter. His form shows he comes to score a knockout but is also vulnerable when looking for the big finish.

Daniel’s first defeat as a prizefighter came against another Londoner in Joe Joyce when the Juggernaut won by stoppage in round 10 of a contest scheduled for 12 back in 2020. Dynamite’s second reverse was inflicted by Oleksandr Usyk in round nine in Poland 13 months ago. Dubois performed well that evening, dropping his opponent to the canvas, but was eventually out-thought and out-fought by a pound-for-pound great. The fact that Usyk went on to defeat Tyson Fury and unify the division proves there’s no shame in losing that contest by KO.

Since that defeat to Usyk, Dubois has fought twice and scored two impressive knockout wins. He bounced back with an eye-catching 10th-round victory over the respected Jarrell Miller before giving a career-best performance to better Filip Hrgovic before the end of round eight, both in Saudi Arabia. Back on home soil, Triple D targets a victory that would change his life and career overnight. Beat AJ, and he’ll become the IBF world heavyweight champion, putting him first in line for a rematch against Usyk.

AJ to leave it late

When analyzing the stats and form of both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, an obvious pattern emerges, and we can use that when making predictions. Dubois likes to go on the front foot and make things happen early. He’s an aggressive fighter who tees up big shots, using his power to overwhelm opponents. Like many big punchers, the longer a contest lasts, the more he runs out of gas and becomes a target. I expect something similar to happen at Wembley on Saturday evening.

Joshua must weather the early storm, but he’s experienced enough to do that. AJ has faced many dangerous opponents as an amateur and professional fighter, so Dubois brings nothing the former world champion hasn’t seen before. If Anthony can use his defense and size advantage while remaining calm in the first half of the bout at Wembley, I expect him to grind Dubois down and take over in the middle to later rounds before scoring a knockout.

There can be no denying Dynamite brings the power and will be dangerous for the entire fight, but AJ is no slouch in that department and showed last time against Ngannou that he can take an opponent out in devastating fashion.