Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois: What the heavyweight title fight means for both men

On Saturday, Daniel Dubois puts the IBF heavyweight title on the line against two-time former unified champion Anthony Joshua. With the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury for the unified title just months away, the winner of Dubois vs. Joshua will have a strong position in boxing's glamour division.

Usyk became undisputed champion with his first win over Fury, but was expelled from the IBF because the rematch prevented him from fulfilling his obligation to face his mandatory challenger. When Usyk's membership was revoked, which Usyk described as a “gift” to Joshua and Dubois, Dubois was elevated to full champion.

Since losing two fights in a row to Usyk, Joshua has reeled off four straight wins. Most recently, Joshua delivered a brilliant Knockout of the Year contender against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who was fresh off a narrow points loss to Fury.

Dubois vs. Joshua is a huge fight for the present and future of the division, but it's important to both fighters in different ways. Let's look at how the outcome of the fight could affect both men.

What this fight means for Dubois

But for fleeting moments, the path to heavyweight titles in this era has always gone through Fury and Joshua – and now Usyk – so it seems only right that Joshua will be the man to face Dubois for IBF gold. Dubois has already failed to beat Usyk in 2023. He believed he had knocked Usyk down cleanly in the fight, but the referee intervened and declared it a low blow. Usyk would stop Dubois in round 9, but Dubois believes he has “a score to settle” with Usyk.

A loss to Joshua would deprive Dubois of any chance to right what he believes was wrong against Usyk. The Ukrainian is close to retirement, but it is uncertain what happens after the rematch against Fury. With a win, he could try to become undisputed at heavyweight for a second time, or he could put into action his previously stated plan to return to cruiserweight to become undisputed at heavyweight for a second time. The Weight. If Dubois beats Joshua and retains the IBF title, he will have a chance in the Usyk rematch.

A loss puts Dubois in a strange position. At just 27 years old, he is still far from the end of his boxing career, which works to his advantage. Dubois has plenty of time to become world champion again before retirement, but if he loses, he could be driving around the block until Usyk, Fury and Joshua hang up their gloves and a spot opens up. From a legacy perspective, that would not reflect well on Dubois' career.

Dubois is in a fortunate position because boxing politics meant the four world titles couldn't stay together for long and the IBF title was put on ice again, allowing Dubois to move up from interim to full champion. But Dubois' championship is something of a title on paper and, with no offense to Filip Hrgovic, his reign won't feel legitimate until he beats someone who is seen as a legitimate world championship-level opponent. As such, it could be now or never for Dubois' opportunity to build a legacy as one of the best heavyweight fighters of an exciting heavyweight era.

What this fight means for Joshua

For both men, the opportunity to face the winner of Usyk vs. Fury II is as big a prize as the IBF title, which can only be considered a minor title in the division after it was stripped from Usyk. But Joshua has a history with both men that makes a potential showdown mean more than just an undisputed championship fight.

A fight between Joshua and Fury has been discussed for years and even this late in their respective careers it would be the biggest fight in British boxing history. Add in the stakes of the undisputed heavyweight title that is on the line and it becomes one of the biggest fights of all time. Of course, should both Fury and Joshua lose their upcoming fights, the best option would be to let the fight go ahead anyway. It would still be a big fight, albeit not as big as it could have been at any point in the last decade.

There is no way for Joshua to get a third fight with Usyk unless he beats Dubois And It is tempting for Usyk to seek undisputed heavyweight status for a second time. Usyk may not be interested at all, having already beaten Joshua twice.

What the Dubois fight represents perhaps more than anything else is a chance for Joshua to further build his legacy. A win would make him a three-time world champion and would be another step in minimizing blemishes like the historic 2019 upset by Andy Ruiz Jr. or the countless disappointing performances in wins that have defined Joshua's career.