Former Ring heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be an interested observer when his countrymen Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois collide at Wembley Arena, London, on Saturday.
Lewis, who achieved everything possible in boxing and had his share of huge domestic clashes, believes that such an occasion, that could see a crowd in excess of 90,000 in attendance, will be something to remember.
“It’s awesome, it’s definitely comparable to a world title fight,” Lewis told The Ring. “You’ve got two British fighters that are fighting, so it’s epic. Every time there is (a big all-British fight), it’s always epic. It’s just as epic as me and Frank Bruno, me and Gary Mason.”
The recently turned 59-year-old feels while Joshua has long been on the top table of world boxing that now Dubois is looking to claim his position.
“Dubois has been the guy that nobody has been looking at for a while and he wants his glory,” said Lewis. “I think he looks at Anthony as the golden boy in the sense everyone is awing over him, he’s got the fans, the big promoter and he’s got the spotlight because that’s the way it was but now it’s his time. He’s been sitting back on the burner and he has an opportunity, now let’s see if he can do it.”
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off ahead of their IBF heavyweight title fight on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium – Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Lewis feels A.J. has one decided advantage going into the meeting of two dynamic power-punchers who both post knockout ratios near or higher than 90 percent.
“His advantage is his experience,” said Lewis. “The fact he’s been in against Oleksandr Usyk twice, he’s boxed over in America, big stadium events and has high profile trainers.”
However, Lewis isn’t writing off Dubois, who has grown considerably with recent wins over Jarrell Miller (TKO 10) and Filip Hrgovic (TKO 8), the latter of which earned him the interim IBF title that has since been upgraded to full title.
“Don’t cut out the guy who’s been waiting for a while. Just because he’s been quiet doesn’t mean he’s not deadly,” countered Lewis. “He was able to put Usyk down on the ground (Editor’s note: The aforementioned knockdown wasn’t scored as such in that fight), this is something not a lot of people can do.
“The hunger, nobody knows his hunger as much as he does. Everybody sees him sitting back and going through the motions. I think a big telling was his last fight against (Filip Hrgovic) and the one before that against Jarrell Miller. I think that was a turning point for him when he got rid of Miller. He was in a fight, fighting a guy that was pretty rugged and he decides in a sense that, ‘You can’t stay with me.’ And he stepped on the gas a little bit and stopped him, and that’s what he was supposed to do. There was no way Miller was supposed to go the distance with him. I was saying that before the fight and he proved me right.”
With so much on the line, Lewis says the deciding factor could be steely determination.
“It’s just heart, who’s got the guts to really go for it,” he said. “Both have the talent to do it, they’ve got the power. Now, who’s going to step up and say this is mine?”
Ultimately, who how does see things playing out?
“I think it can go either way because both of them have a good shot,” he said before making an outright prediction. “Anthony has the advantage. Daniel has been there in the background, he wants it, he’s been dreaming about it all his life. If he goes for it, it will pan itself out. As far as experience [Dubois] has gotten a lot of experience in his last few fights.
“I think right now it’s pointing to Joshua but it’s not pointing at him a lot. Daniel’s done the work, it’s his opportunity, it’s up to him to step forward. Anything can happen in this.
“I’m looking at the Joe Joyce fight, and Joyce was catching him with jabs. I believe Joshua has a way better jab than Joyce. That’s what’s going to be Daniel’s weakness. If he doesn’t get his jab going, if he allows AJ to get his jab going first, that’s the problem.
He then offered a clear prediction.
“Joshua by stoppage. I don’t think it’s going to be an early fight, I think it’s probably gonna be later rounds. Daniel’s not gonna come and lay down.”
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk.
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