Joshua On Dubois: “He Wants To Slay The King”

Anthony Joshua interestingly views himself as “the King” in his fight against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium in London. Joshua has created a make-believe world where he’s still the #1 fighter in the division, and his opponent is just another pretender coming to take his crown.

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Despite young lion Dubois holding the title, AJ believes he’s on a higher peg than him, suggesting that he may be slightly out of touch with the gravity of his situation. That high view of himself that Joshua has is not a good sign going up against this type of hungry fighter.

Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) is not the King in this fight. He’s the old lion trying to hold onto what’s left of his career, going up against a younger lion ready to tear him apart.

If AJ had his feet firmly on the ground, he’d realize how bleak his situation is going into this fight. In military terms, Joshua looked like he was ready for section eight to be discharged from combat after his mental breakdown after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.

Joshua has come back partially by beating nonentities that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, selected for him. Hearn has patched Joshua’s career with his slick matchmaking and held him together with glue. Without Hearn working his magic, Joshua would have been retired by now. Interestingly, Joshua isn’t aware of what Hearn has done to keep him going. How could he not know?

The four stiffs that Hearn found for him did nothing to prepare Joshua to be put back on the frontlines of combat against a young, hungry soldier more suited for war than him. Dubois was made for this. Joshua isn’t and never was.

“I’m a gladiator. I’m walking to the ring to conquer,” said Anthony Joshua to the DAZN Boxing channel about his mentality for his title challenge against IBF champion Daniel Dubois on Saturday. “It’s going to be the best Daniel Dubois. No, there’s only one,” said Joshua when asked if Dubois reminded him of himself when he was younger.

“I’m the hunter. Everyone. I’m hunting Daniel and Fury. I’m in the jungle. You can’t get comfortable. War,” said Joshua when asked what fans can expect on Saturday. “A good Daniel and a good Joshua. He wants to slay the King. I’m an old man.”

What Joshua says about him being “the hunter” are just words. He’s not been hunting anybody since his consecutive losses to Usyk unless he’s talking about preying on the lame. He’s done a great job of that.