Joshua On Dubois: “He wants to kill the king”

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

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Despite the young lion Dubois holding the title, AJ believes he is on a higher peg than him, suggesting that he may be slightly out of touch with the gravity of his situation.

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

If AJ had his feet firmly on the ground, he would realize how dark his situation was going in this fight. In military terms, Joshua looked like he was ready for section eight to be dismissed from the fight following his mental breakdown following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.

Joshua made his comeback in part by beating non-entities that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, had chosen for him. Hearn has pieced together Joshua’s career with his slick matchmaking. However, these four fights did nothing to prepare Joshua to once again be placed on the front lines of battle against a young, hungry soldier more fit for war than he was. Dubois was made for this. Joshua is not and never was.

“I am a gladiator. I walk to the ring to win,” Anthony Joshua told DAZN Boxing channel on 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,” Joshua said when asked if Dubois reminded him of himself when he was younger.

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