Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated

Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Heavyweights seek upper hand before Wembley showdown

Re-live the press conference, after Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois shared a stage before their all-British title fight

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Thursday 19 September 2024 19:48 BST
Comments
Guy Ritchie-directed trailer for Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois is released

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois traded words at a press conference on Thursday, two days before their all-British title fight at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua, 34, will challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday (21 September), bidding to become a three-time world champion.

Since losing the unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failing to regain them in 2022, “AJ” has been near-perfect: outpointing Jermaine Franklin then stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Dubois bounced back from his own loss to Usyk – a stoppage defeat last August – with TKOs of Jarrell Miller in December and Filip Hrgovic in June. The latter result won Dubois, 27, the interim IBF title – which was upgraded when Usyk vacated the official belt.

And so the IBF title is on the line at Wembley this weekend, but before then, Joshua and Dubois made their final statements at Thursday’s press conference. Re-live updates from the Joshua vs Dubois press conference, below.

Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Is this fight the final chapter in a cautionary tale?

In his complicated career, Anthony Joshua has headlined numerous stadium shows, the majority of them on the strength of his own name, brand and legacy. In fact, the only exceptions were arguably his victory over Wladimir Klitschko and first defeat by Oleksandr Usyk – both of which were seismic sporting events all around. So, what about Saturday’s headline contest: an IBF heavyweight title fight with Daniel Dubois?

In fairness, this bout probably belongs in the latter camp. It is true that Dubois, 27, is not yet in a position where he can fill stadiums regardless of his opponent, as “AJ” first did at the same age. But his reputation is as strong as it has ever been, and Joshua himself is resurgent.

And so Joshua will fight in stadium for the first time since his first clash with Usyk, in 2021, while Dubois does so for the second time in his career, having made his debut in such a venue last August – against Usyk, no less.

Is Joshua vs Dubois the final chapter in a cautionary tale?

The British heavyweights have both been written off numerous times. Yet here they are, about to headline at Wembley Stadium with a world title on the line

Alex Pattle19 September 2024 14:38

Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE

Joshua, 34, will challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday (21 September), bidding to become a three-time world champion.

Since losing the unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failing to regain them in 2022, “AJ” has been near-perfect: outpointing Jermaine Franklin then stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Dubois bounced back from his own loss to Usyk – a stoppage defeat last August – with TKOs of Jarrell Miller in December and Filip Hrgovic in June. The latter result won Dubois, 27, the interim IBF title – which was upgraded when Usyk vacated the official belt.

And so the IBF title is on the line at Wembley this weekend, but before then, Joshua and Dubois will make their final statements at today’s press conference.

Alex Pattle19 September 2024 14:19

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in