Heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, who has defeated Anthony Joshua on two occasions, identified a critical flaw in Joshua’s strategy that contributed to his defeat by Daniel Dubois.
In a stunning bout on September 21, 2024, heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua faced a shocking defeat against Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, where 96,000 spectators witnessed the contest.
Dubois, defending his IBF heavyweight title, dominated Joshua, knocking him down in four of the five rounds before finishing the fight with a decisive counter right hand.
Joshua’s struggle against Dubois was evident throughout the match, despite momentarily wobbling his opponent in the fifth round.
This marked Joshua’s fourth professional loss, raising questions about his performance and preparation.
Identifying a crucial flaw in Joshua’s strategy, Usyk said, “Not shocked because it’s boxing. Daniel Dubois today was better,” Usyk stated after the match.
He pointed out that Joshua’s reliance on leaning back was a significant error, noting, “Anthony had one problem because this position [leaning back] is dangerous – if you want to step back, do it like this [by moving your feet], not like this [leaning], this is dangerous.”
Usyk was ringside to witness the event and provided insights into Joshua’s performance, suggesting that his movement within the ring was inadequate for such a high-stakes fight. Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, echoed these sentiments, highlighting multiple shortcomings in Joshua’s approach.
“The footwork was the issue, the mentality was the issue, everything was the issue,” Krassyuk remarked. He elaborated on Joshua’s stance, saying, “He didn’t look the way we expected him to look, did you see his right hand? It was all the way [down] on his right chest, so his chin was up. It was a fairy tale for any boxer, not just for Dubois, for everyone.”
Three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis also weighed in on the bout, emphasizing Joshua’s defensive lapses.
He noted, “The problem with that punch right there… he didn’t throw a jab first.” Lewis critiqued Joshua’s choice of attack, stating, “Nobody throws an uppercut against a dangerous fighter like that from a distance. That’s what he did, that’s the mistake he made.” He added, “AJ did come out with his chin up a little bit, and I was like, ‘oh, he needs to put that chin down.’ Against a right-handed boxer who has been throwing right hands and knocking people out all the time, that’s just like opening the door for him by keeping your chin up.”
As the dust settles on this significant upset, questions loom over Joshua’s future in the heavyweight division, and whether he can adapt and overcome the fundamental issues highlighted by Usyk, Krassyuk, and Lewis.
