Anthony Joshua could leave Daniel Dubois needing a pillow just as he did Francis Ngannou, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who hit back at comments from Frank Warren over his fighter’s recent resume.
Joshua and Dubois headline at Wembley Stadium on September 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Promoter Warren called the calibre of Joshua’s recent opponents into question when compared to those of his fighter Dubois, prompting a warning from Hearn of the devastating power Joshua possesses.
“Frank has got some good points about his [Joshua’s] resume,” he told Sky Sports News.
“I think the Otto Wallin win was an underrated win – the guy had just beat [Murat] Gassiev, he gave [Tyson] Fury the fits.
“Then there was Francis Ngannou. People want to discredit Ngannou but look at what he did against Fury. In my opinion, he beat him. Anthony made it a mismatch and he needed a pillow.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday September 21.
“If Daniel Dubois wants to get hit by the right hand and wants to make sloppy mistakes, the same thing that happened to Ngannou will happen to him.
“If you get hit by Anthony Joshua at the moment, you are going to sleep.
“If Daniel Dubois comes out aggressively like he did against [Filip] Hrgovic, you’re going to get a fire fight. And if he makes one mistake, it’s night-night for Daniel Dubois.”
‘Best heavyweight in the world’
Warren also claimed Dubois could end Joshua’s career with a devastating victory at Wembley.
Hearn not only dismissed the suggestion but responded by labelling Joshua the best heavyweight boxer in the world ahead of his attempt to become a three-time world champion.
“It’s a weird narrative,” Hearn added. “Almost since the [Andy] Ruiz rematch, the narrative has been his career could be over if he loses a match. He came back and won that, then lost to [Oleksandr] Usyk.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Johnny Nelson discusses the heavyweight showdown between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua and what Dubois will have to do during the fight to defeat AJ.
“People said if he lost the rematch his career would be over, he lost the rematch. Now, all of a sudden, people are saying he’s in the form of his career, he looks like an unbeatable Anthony Joshua and looks more dangerous than ever.
“In all boxing, you’re only one punch away from a disaster, particularly when you’ve got two huge punching, fast heavyweights. That’s the beauty of this match-up.
“People are trying to find a way of talking Daniel Dubois up in this fight. You don’t need to – he’s the real deal, he’s a world-class heavyweight, he’s young, he’s hungry.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
A look at some of Daniel Dubois’ biggest knockouts ahead his IBF heavyweight world title fight against Anthony Joshua. Watch Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday, September 21.
“But he is meeting the best heavyweight in the world, and more importantly, a guy who is so dialled in with [trainer] Ben Davison and the team that tactically he’s got everything spot on for the last couple of fights, and we believe he will get this one spot on.
“But listen, this is a very dangerous fight, it’s one that you watch through your fingers. Two massive heavyweights, very fast, punch extremely hard. This fight could change on a sixpence and it’s dangerous from the first bell to the moment this fight is over. Anything can happen in that ring.
“It’s a big night, it’s an emotional night. It’s a chance for Anthony Joshua to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. That’s an accolade that is very thin in terms of liquidity of fighters who have done that in the past. He’s really up for this.”
Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois (with Riyadh Season logo)
Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with Daniel Dubois takes place on Saturday September 21 live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Joshua v Dubois now!