Oleksandr Usyk reveals what went wrong for Anthony Joshua against Daniel Dubois
Oleksandr Usyk analyzes Anthony Joshua’s performance against Daniel Dubois.
Oleksandr Usyk has spoken out against Anthony Joshua’s most recent setback at the hands of Daniel Dubois, in which the two-time world champion was the overwhelming favourite to win.
On September 21, the British heavyweights faced off for Dubois’ IBF title at Wembley Stadium in front of 96,000 fans.
The two-weight undisputed champion from Ukraine, who was observing from ringside, pointed out the flaws Joshua made, beginning with, “His footwork was the issue.”
He went on to say that there were both mental and physical mistakes: “The mentality was the issue. Everything was an issue. I thought I recognized the face of AJ, but he was completely different on the inside.
“He did not look how we expected him to look. Did you see his right hand? It was all the way down on his chest.
“You know his chin, chin was up, it was like a [gift], a fairy-tale for any boxer.”
Despite being the big favourite at the bookies, AJ fell down in the very first round, thanks to a long-reaching overhand right from the underdog.
Joshua’s left hand was hung so low that was open to DDD’s big right hand, plus his reaction times were very delayed, unable to get out of the way of anything Dubois threw. The bell saved AJ for the second round, then he was saved yet again in the third round by the bell.
In round four, Dubois landed a jab in the opening seconds that rocked AJ’s head back because his chin was high up in the air.
There was a glimmer of hope for Joshua in the first minute of the fifth round, when he landed a signature right cross that stiffened the legs of Dubois momentarily and forced him to retreat to the corner.
However, Joshua very crudely threw another two big right hands with his guard hung so low by his chest, but it was his final attempt to throw a right uppercut that was his undoing. He was not only completely open, but he telegraphed his right hand so much that Dubois just patiently waited to counter with a right hook of his own to knock him out completely. Read the full fight report here
For such an experienced two-time world champion who had looked much better under new trainer Ben Davison, AJ’s performance was quite concerning.
It also calls into question his recent form, since he has won four consecutive fights since losing to Usyk, who is poised to face Tyson Fury for the second time in December.
Joshua won a chess match with Jermaine Franklin first, then KO’d a 40-year-old Icelandic fighter named Robert Helenius, and then forced fringe contender Otto Wallin to retire after a five-round beating in 2023, all under Derrick James.In March 2024, he blasted MMA fighter Francis Ngannou away in two rounds, which is exactly what any boxer should do against an MMA fighter.
