2 weeks Ago By Thomas Henigan
With just days to go until the much-anticipated showdown between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, British boxing legend Lennox Lewis has had his say on the bout. Lewis is uniquely positioned to give his thoughts on the fight, having been in a number of major heavyweight clashes throughout his career. The former undisputed world heavyweight champion famously got the better of fellow Brit Frank Bruno in his own domestic grudge match in 1993 - and also scored stoppage wins over the likes of Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko before retiring.
Saturday's fight is a huge one for both Joshua and Dubois. The bout marks Dubois' first defence of the IBF heavyweight title since being upgraded to full champion over the summer, while Joshua will be looking to join an elite group of men who have held the world heavyweight crown on three occasions. One man who has achieved that feat is Lewis himself.
Lennox Lewis Feels Joshua 'Has an Edge' Over Dubois Lennox recently spoke with talkSPORT about Joshua's chances of emulating that achievement, as he gave his thoughts on his upcoming fight with Dubois . The 59-year-old, who finished his career with a 41-2-1 record, admitted: "I think Anthony Joshua’s experience does give him the edge. He’s been through bigger fights.
Oleksandr Usyk twice." Lewis did stop himself mid-thought, though, to reflect on the fact that Dubois had managed to previously floor Usyk, whereas Joshua did not send the Ukranian to the canvas at any time over their two fights. The only thing is, Daniel Dubois was the only one, out of the two of them to put Oleksandr Usyk down on the floor," he recalled.
Dubois wasn't given credit on the night for the body shot that put Usyk down - as the referee deemed it to be a low blow - but many observers, seemingly including Lewis, felt that was an incorrect call. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Lennox Lewis defeated every man he ever faced in the ring, avenging his two defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman in rematches. As far as strategy is concerned for Joshua and Dubois this weekend, Lewis feels that the fight hinges on who can establish their jab quicker.
He explained: "It all starts with the jab. Like for me, if you go out there and hit a guy with the jab, you know what the guy's gonna do, he's going to say, 'I don't like this jab', and he's gonna protect against it. When he protects against it, that's when you start throwing the right hand.
Now he has to protect against that. Then, if he's protecting against both, then that's where the hooks and uppercuts come in." Anthony Joshua & Daniel Dubois' pro boxing records (as of 18/09/24) Anthony Joshua Daniel Dubois Fights 31 23 Wins 28 21 Losses 3 2 While he ultimately sided with Joshua as his winner, the Hall of Famer did have a few words of advice for the reigning champion, Dubois.
Again, for Lewis, everything comes back to one punch: "Start with the jab. Keep your head moving. Don’t get hit by jabs and go out there and box your fight.
" Joshua may be the more seasoned of the pair, but there is huge pressure on both men. With more than 90,000 fans expected to be in attendance for the second international 'Riyadh Season' card of 2024, neither man has ever boxed in front of an audience so large. The stakes couldn't be higher, as the winner is likely to put themselves in line for a shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship - facing whomever emerges victorious from the December clash between Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Defeat isn't something either man will want to contemplate. Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Mike Tyson, and Deontay Wilder all make the top 10..
