Promoter Bob Arum says he wasn’t shocked by Anthony Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois final month as a result of he had “by no means been excessive on” him. The sensible Prime Rank promoter Bob Arum says he by no means rated Joshua and noticed his five-round obliteration in opposition to Dubois as completely predictable.
Joshua lastly fought somebody proficient after his pseudo-four-fight rebuild job by his promoter and returned to being the identical fragile fighter he’d been up to now.
Some folks imagine that Joshua was a manufactured fighter from the get-go, ranging from the controversial 2012 Olympic gold medal and the rigorously orchestrated profession. In Joshua’s 11-year resume, you need to conclude that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, has marketed him properly.
He did a bang-up job matching AJ, and the UK public purchased into it. Sadly, he was by no means the true factor. Joshua was idiot’s gold, however Arum wasn’t one of many many who have been fooled.
Arum feels that the previous two-time heavyweight champion Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) is “very susceptible” now, and he doesn’t know if he can come again after being destroyed in 5 rounds by Dubois on September twenty first.
Joshua’s seventh-round knockout defeat in opposition to former Prime Rank fighter Andy Ruiz Jr. was an eye-opener for Arum, however the cracks in AJ’s facade had been uncovered properly earlier than that. We noticed this in Joshua’s battle in opposition to 41-year-old Wladimir Klitschko in 2017, when he was getting ready to being knocked out however let off the hook by the previous champion.
Then there was the 2015 battle in opposition to Dillian Whyte, through which Joshua was out on his toes within the second spherical and wanted 4 rounds to recuperate. That battle was the crimson flag, exhibiting that Joshua wasn’t what clever followers thought he was.
“I’ve at all times been excessive on Dubois. I’ve by no means been excessive on Joshua, however I by no means thought he was a terrific fighter, notably after the Andy Ruiz battle. Once more, it didn’t shock me,” stated Bob Arum to BoxNation, discussing his ideas on Anthony Joshua’s defeat in opposition to Daniel Dubois.
It was apparent from the second the Joshua-Dubois battle was made that Joshua was heading for a knockout defeat. What’s stunning is that Hearn let Joshua undergo with the battle moderately than placing the brakes on that concept as a result of he would by no means win.
Dubois has precise expertise, can punch, and is younger. In different phrases, he was pure kryptonite for Joshua. What’s stunning is that Joshua made it to the fifth spherical as a result of the battle ought to have been stopped within the third spherical when the referee appeared to waive it, however then he modified his thoughts.
“I believe Joshua could be very, very susceptible. Oh yeah. I believe the silliest factor for Joshua can be to battle Dubois once more,” stated Arum.
It’s uncertain that Joshua will take the rematch with Dubois as a result of Hearn has to know what is going to occur if he tangles with the younger lion a second time. If something, Dubois will destroy Joshua faster within the rematch, making him ineffective for a battle in opposition to Tyson Fury in 2025.
Even when Hearn whips up one other one in all his rebuild jobs on Joshua, it gained’t idiot the general public. They’ll have discovered that AJ isn’t the fighter they foolishly thought he was.
“He [Dubois] at all times had expertise. I went again to his battle in opposition to Usyk, which I watched on tv. From what I noticed, Dubois knocked Usyk out. I don’t assume that was a low blow,” stated Arum.
“It was proper on the beltline, and if it was on the beltline, Usyk couldn’t stand up in 10 seconds, couldn’t stand up in 30 seconds, couldn’t stand up in a minute, and Dubois would have been a champion,” stated Arum.
