Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Heavyweights seek upper hand before Wembley showdown
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois traded words at a press conference on Thursday, two days before their all-British title fight at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua, 34, will challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday (21 September), bidding to become a three-time world champion.
Since losing the unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failing to regain them in 2022, “AJ” has been near-perfect: outpointing Jermaine Franklin then stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Dubois bounced back from his own loss to Usyk – a stoppage defeat last August – with TKOs of Jarrell Miller in December and Filip Hrgovic in June. The latter result won Dubois, 27, the interim IBF title – which was upgraded when Usyk vacated the official belt.
And so the IBF title is on the line at Wembley this weekend, but before then, Joshua and Dubois made their final statements at Thursday’s press conference. Re-live updates from the Joshua vs Dubois press conference, below.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
Anthony Joshua fights Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday
‘AJ’ challenges his fellow Briton for the IBF heavyweight title
Heavyweights spoke at pre-fight press conference today
Interview: Joshua ‘willing to die’ in Dubois clash
Why Dubois’s coach may be absent for Saturday’s main event
Steve Bunce: Inside the Saudis’ role in Joshua vs Dubois
Hearn predicts Dubois’s ‘head will fall off’ from pressure
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:48 , Alex Pattle
A tense face-off. No words, no sudden movements.
Many voices within the sport think this bout doesn’t go past six rounds.
I’m inclined to agree.
That’s all from us! Thank you for tuning in!
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:46 , Alex Pattle
That’s all the talking done. All that’s left is the face-off.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:45 , Alex Pattle
Dubois on walking out in front of 96,000: “I’ve taken it many times before, it’s just this time it’s on a bigger stage, so the energy is gonna be higher.”
Joshua: “It’ll be the same for all of us, you know? Many of the greats have walked it before, all of the undercard will walk it. I’m gonna feel like any of them. The ring walk, I’m not really interested in.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:43 , Alex Pattle
On rumours around their past sparring session(s)...
Joshua: “He cracked me with a great shot, and it’s my chance to get him back on Saturday. We sparred hundreds of times, init.”
Dubois: “Sparring is sparring. Fighting is different. We can move on now, move on.” He slaps the table hard but also laughs.
“You think it’s different?” Joshua says with a smirk. AJ adds that he has “various ways” to win this weekend.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:41 , Alex Pattle
Dubois says he wins “by any means necessary, whichever way it comes”.
Joshua: “I’m tough, so is he. As Frank said, we’ve got similarities, so may the best man win really. Good luck to him, good luck to his team.”
AJ discusses the tense moment at his sit-down interview with Dubois earlier this summer, when Joshua threatened to put a chair across his opponent’s face. “You should never let anyone take an inch, because they’ll end up taking a mile,” AJ says. Dubois doesn’t appear to be paying attention.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:38 , Alex Pattle
Frank Warren, Dubois’s promoter: “For me, there’s nothing better than two Brits in the ring on a big night, sold out, it is gonna be something special.
“And Daniel, I do believe, is gonna show what he’s all about. I’ve believed in him since day one, and he’s come through everything – trials and tribulations, injuries, lots of things happen behind the scenes. Now he’s here with this belt, and he’s not gonna let it go.
“He can fight, he can punch, he’s as big a puncher as – if not a bigger puncher than – AJ. Do not blink in this fight. From the first bell to the last, it’s gonna be something extra, extra special.
“I believe this could be Britain’s Hagler vs Hearns.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:36 , Alex Pattle
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter: “I know [AJ] isn’t a fan of plaudits, but you have to give them to him. Every fighter in this country today has benefited from the fights, the rise, and the behaviour of this man.
“Personally, on Saturday, I can’t wait. I think it’ll be one of the greatest nights that British boxing has ever seen. As this fight draws closer, people start to realise what a great fight this is.
“Proud of Anthony Joshua, a full believer in where he’s at. Never seen him so calm, so confident, so calculated. I believe with all my heart: three-time heavyweight champion on Saturday.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:33 , Alex Pattle
Joshua: “It’s a blessing to be back again, to be able to perform and prove to myself and my team that I’ve listened to the instructions in the training camp.
“I’m in peak condition physically and mentally, I’ve been watching some of the old fights as well – adding fuel to the fire, reminding myself what I can do.”
On how the main event plays out: “We’ll find out, we’ve only got a couple hours left. I can’t say, I’m not Daniel; all I can do is focus on myself.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:31 , Alex Pattle
Dubois mentions his coach Don Charles, who’s been absent this week – amid rumours of a split, but later clarification that Charles has a cold.
Dubois: “Listen, as long as he’s in my corner on fight night, I’m okay. Yeah, everything is good.”
On Saturday: “It’s a resurrection story, my career, and I’m just on a roll right now. I just want the biggest challenges, to make a name for myself, and to create history.”
Why Daniel Dubois might be without his trainer for Anthony Joshua fight
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:27 , Alex Pattle
Michael Buffer with the introductions, and the key players are now at the main table.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:19 , Alex Pattle
Joshua and Dubois are in the room. They should be taking to the stage any moment now.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
19:06 , Alex Pattle
Rising British heavyweight Moses Itauma, who’s been touted as a future world champion, has sparred with Joshua and Dubois.
He tells Sky: “The thing is, when I sparred Anthony Joshua, I feel like... I was obviously 16, and he didn’t really want to knock out a 16-year-old!
“I feel like AJ would probably hit harder, but Dubois’s jab is very, very annoying. It’s just in a weird position, where it just stops you from throwing. His speed is very underrated as well.
“I think Dubois is stronger, but AJ is more explosive.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:57 , Alex Pattle
Next up, it’ll be Joshua, Dubois, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren taking to the stage.
What we’ve all been waiting for...
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:52 , Alex Pattle
Hamzah Sheeraz and Tyler Denny will meet at middleweight, in Saturday’s chief-support bout.
Denny: “Listen, I’m not gonna badmouth him, he’s a great fighter – but so am I. I rate him, I think he’s a world-level fighter, but I believe in myself. My confidence is sky-high. I’ve been an underdog my whole career, but I keep winning.”
Sheeraz: “I like having these expectations of me, because I turn up, I show up, and I get the knockout. [Denny] has been beating whoever is in front of him, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to remember: I’m nothing like the last five fighters he’s upset.
“I am a very, very disciplined man, and I understand the mission of what I’ve set out to do.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:44 , Alex Pattle
Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson will clash for the WBO interim light-heavyweight title on Saturday. The Britons got physical at a recent sit-down interview...
Hutchinson: “I’m just looking forward to knocking this fella out on Saturday night. I don’t know what happened to him, he was an emotional wreck. It’s probably the same thing that’s gonna happen to him on Saturday.”
Buatsi: “I don’t think I’m an emotional wreck. We’re a couple of days out from the fight, so there’s nothing that’s gonna happen to derail me. It wasn’t a big thing, let’s move on, man.
“I think about him what you think about him, what everyone thinks about him, we all think the same.”
Hutchinson: “I personally think I’m alright! I can be a nightmare sometimes, but I think I’m a nice guy. I shake everyone’s hand.”
These two are former sparring partners, and Hutchinson has repeatedly claimed (as he is right now) that he got the best of those sessions.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:38 , Alex Pattle
Josh Warrington was due to challenge Anthony Cacace for the IBF super-featherweight title, but only the IBO belt will be on the line this weekend – after the IBF refused to give the green light on a title fight.
Warrington, a former featherweight champion: “Listen, you’re not gonna get loads of screaming and shouting out of me, but one thing I can guarantee you is action. We might not shout or scream at each other, but don’t miss our fight: I guarantee it’ll be fight of the night.”
Cacace: “There’s no pressure. Josh is a two-time world champion, his career has been filled with success; I’m only getting success now. But I’m a big super-featherweight, and it’s gonna be a tough night for him. He’s too small for me, he’s gonna come onto shots. I’m not gonna have to go looking for him, he’s gonna come for a proper fight – and that’s exactly what I want him to do.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:29 , Alex Pattle
Ishmael Davis steps in to face Josh Kelly, after Liam Smith was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Davis: “I’ve heard Josh Kelly’s interviews, he’s overlooking me. I’m the most progressive British boxer. Saturday night, you’re gonna be in there will hell, bro.
“I dare you to meet me in the middle of the ring. You can laugh, but you’re a pretty boy; you’re not cut like me.”
Kelly, who is indeed laughing, can barely get a word in edgeways.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:26 , Alex Pattle
Joshua and Dubois will take to the stage shortly; first up, it’s the undercard fighters.
Mark Chamberlain faces Josh Padley in a super-lightweight bout on Saturday.
Padley: “I back myself, and I definitely think I’m gonna be Mark’s hardest test to date.”
Chamberlain: “How do you claim you[rself] as my hardest test to date?”
Chamberlain laughs at his opponent. It’s all a bit awkward right now.
Padley: “He’s obviously going off what he’s seen of me, and there’s not much content out there.”
Chamberlain: “You’re in a proper fight, Saturday night. Make sure you bring your A-game.”
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
18:21 , Alex Pattle
The pre-amble is out of the way, and it’s over to the promoters and fighters.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Joshua Buatsi interview
17:47 , Alex Pattle
When Joshua Buatsi arrives at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, there will be no seeking out familiar faces – not even a face as familiar as Anthony Joshua’s.
And to Buatsi, Joshua’s face is even more familiar than it is to the average boxing fan. The two Joshuas have been good friends for years, and Saturday will mark the fourth time they have shared a fight card. In 2017 and 2018, Buatsi competed on the undercard of “AJ”’s victories over Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker, at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. In 2019, Buatsi was there at Madison Square Garden to do a job when Joshua, for the first time in his professional career, failed to do his own and lost to Andy Ruiz Jr.
And on Saturday, Buatsi will be there again, facing Willy Hutchinson at Wembley before Joshua headlines against Daniel Dubois, the reigning IBF heavyweight champion.
Still, there won’t be time for niceties. “We’re very much in our own lanes [on those days],” Buatsi tells The Independent. “I understand that he’s got something to do, I’ve got something to do. It’s not time to be chatting to each other – it’s not time to be talking to a lot of people, bro.”
Joshua Buatsi on friendship with Anthony Joshua: ‘Fight days aren’t for chatting’
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
17:31 , Alex Pattle
The press conference is due any time from now.
It’s taking place in the beautiful Guildhall Buildings in London.
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Why one key coach could be missing
17:23 , Alex Pattle
The absence of Daniel Dubois’ trainer during fight week of his huge clash with Anthony Joshua on Saturday night continues to create speculation of a rift within the camp.
However, Don Charles’s absence has been explained ahead of the Wembley showdown. George Fox, Charles’s son, has moved to crush rumours two days before Dubois puts his IBF world heavyweight belt on the line against his English rival.
Despite others’ claims, Charles is missing due to having a cold. “No secret, no ploy, no plan to unsettle anyone,” said Fox, reported by Sky Sports.
DAZN also noted that Charles hopes to be in attendance on Saturday and took the decision to stay away to protect the fighters and those involved with the major event.
While there’s no issue inside the camp, it’s not ideal preparation for Dubois to be without the man who is widely credited with improving his career.
More here:
Why Daniel Dubois might be without his trainer for Anthony Joshua fight
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Press conference expected shortly
17:15 , Alex Pattle
The press conference is expected to begin at 5.30pm BST, so don’t go anywhere!
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Undercard
17:02 , Alex Pattle
Full card (subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion)
Daniel Dubois (C) vs Anthony Joshua (IBF heavyweight title)
Tyler Denny (C) vs Hamzah Sheeraz (European middleweight title)
Anthony Cacace (C) vs Josh Warrington (super-featherweight)
Joshua Buatsi vs Willy Hutchinson (WBO interim light-heavyweight title)
Josh Kelly vs Ishmael Davis (middleweight)
Mark Chamberlain vs Josh Padley (lightweight)
Who is fighting on the Joshua vs Dubois undercard?
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: What time does fight start?
16:47 , Alex Pattle
The first fight is likely to begin at 6pm BST on Saturday (10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET), with main-event ring walks expected at around 11pm BST (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET).
What time does Joshua vs Dubois start in UK and US?
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: How to watch fight
16:29 , Alex Pattle
The fight will air live on DAZN worldwide, including in the UK and US. The pay-per-view is priced at £19.99, and you can purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £14.99 a month.
New subscribers who buy the pay-per-view and sign up to a Monthly Flex Offer will receive a seven-day free trial; those who choose the Instalment Offer will get one month free; and those picking the Annual Offer will receive a 15 per cent discount.
DAZN has apps available for all of the following platforms: Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Amazon Fire Tablet, Android Phone & Tablet, iPhone & iPad, Android TV, LG, Smart TV, Panasonic Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, SmartCast, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Roku.
In the UK, Joshua vs Dubois will also air live on Sky Sports Box Office for £19.95, and on TNT Sports Box Office for £19.99. The TNT pay-per-view can be watched on discovery+, EE TV and Prime Video.
How to watch Joshua vs Dubois online and on TV
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: ‘His head will fall off'
15:50 , Alex Pattle
Eddie Hearn has predicted that the pressure of a fight with Anthony Joshua will be too much for Daniel Dubois, and that the younger fighter’s “head will fall off” at Wembley.
Joshua’s promoter believes the occasion may get to Dubois, 27, as he faces 34-year-old “AJ”, a fighter with plenty of stadium experience.
“Dubois, I think his head will fall off on Saturday,” Hearn told reporters on Monday (16 September). “But that could make him more dangerous!
“I’m not sure he’ll be able to execute his specific gameplan, I think he could come out like a bull again – which is dangerous, and might be his best chance, but he might get bumped!”
More from Hearn here:
Eddie Hearn: Dubois’ ‘head will fall off’ from pressure of Joshua fight
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: AJ ‘willing to die’ in Saturday’s fight
15:30 , Alex Pattle
Anthony Joshua has insisted that he is “willing to die” against Daniel Dubois on Saturday, as the Britons clash at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua, 34, will challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title, after Dubois, 27, was elevated from interim champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the official belt.
For Joshua, the main-event contest represents a chance to become a three-time world champion, and “AJ” is adamant that he will leave everything in the ring to achieve that goal.
“This is the thing with fighting: it takes more than being strong to be a champion and a good fighter,” Joshua told reporters on Monday (16 September). “It’s good, but I truly believe from what I’ve read and studied – and from what great people who have come before me have said – it takes more than being a physical specimen to be a fighter.
“It’s a good attribute, but when you come across someone who’s willing to take that from you, and you’re giving them your best shot and they’re taking it, that’s when you figure out what it takes to be a champion. I’ve been there, I’ve been to the well. [Dubois] is fighting someone that’s willing to die in there, that wants to give everything to be victorious.”
Full interview:
Anthony Joshua: ‘I’m willing to die’ against Daniel Dubois
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: What happened behind the scenes last time?
15:11 , Alex Pattle
Today’s press conference is the second between Joshua and Dubois, who also shared a stage in June.
On the day of their first press conference, Joshua and Dubois also conducted a joint interview, in which AJ threatened to “put a chair across” his opponent’s “f***ing face”.
More on that here...
Anthony Joshua threatens to ‘put chair’ across Daniel Dubois’ face in tense moment
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Saudi boxing revolution continues... at Wembley, of all places
14:55 , Alex Pattle
It has cost a billion dollars, taken just 11 months, and this Saturday in front of 96,000, the boxing revolution will continue at Wembley Stadium.
Last October, a boxing ring appeared from a depth of 26ft inside a black hole in the middle of the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital: the new capital of boxing. The ring was for Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou; the best two men in their respective sports, boxing and mixed martial arts. It was the launch of the boxing revolution.
Earlier that night, outside the giant building, six other fights took place, including a British title fight. It was the start, and two months later – in the shadow of Christmas – it was Anthony Joshua’s turn to fight in the same ring. On that night, as many as five of the eight bouts would have been main events on any given Saturday night in the UK.
This Saturday, Joshua attempts to join an elite club and win the heavyweight championship for the third time, when he fights Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium; there are five planned fights on the undercard, and three are legitimate main-event attractions. A fight fell out of bed a few days ago, one that would have also been a main event on any other night.
Steve Bunce looks at the Saudis’ role in Joshua vs Dubois:
Saudi Arabia’s boxing revolution continues... at Wembley, of all places
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Is this fight the final chapter in a cautionary tale?
14:38 , Alex Pattle
In his complicated career, Anthony Joshua has headlined numerous stadium shows, the majority of them on the strength of his own name, brand and legacy. In fact, the only exceptions were arguably his victory over Wladimir Klitschko and first defeat by Oleksandr Usyk – both of which were seismic sporting events all around. So, what about Saturday’s headline contest: an IBF heavyweight title fight with Daniel Dubois?
In fairness, this bout probably belongs in the latter camp. It is true that Dubois, 27, is not yet in a position where he can fill stadiums regardless of his opponent, as “AJ” first did at the same age. But his reputation is as strong as it has ever been, and Joshua himself is resurgent.
And so Joshua will fight in stadium for the first time since his first clash with Usyk, in 2021, while Dubois does so for the second time in his career, having made his debut in such a venue last August – against Usyk, no less.
Is Joshua vs Dubois the final chapter in a cautionary tale?
Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE
14:19 , Alex Pattle
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will trade words at a press conference today, two days before their all-British title fight at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua, 34, will challenge Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday (21 September), bidding to become a three-time world champion.
Since losing the unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failing to regain them in 2022, “AJ” has been near-perfect: outpointing Jermaine Franklin then stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Dubois bounced back from his own loss to Usyk – a stoppage defeat last August – with TKOs of Jarrell Miller in December and Filip Hrgovic in June. The latter result won Dubois, 27, the interim IBF title – which was upgraded when Usyk vacated the official belt.
And so the IBF title is on the line at Wembley this weekend, but before then, Joshua and Dubois will make their final statements at today’s press conference.
