Anthony Joshua looked highly nervous and exhausted during the Grand Arrivals on Tuesday for his fight against Daniel Dubois on Saturday. The difference between the demeanor and energy of the two fighters is impossible to miss.
IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) looked happy and laughing during the Grand Arrivals. It was like Dubois was gathering with friends at a party, whereas Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) looked like a doomed man, heading to the electric chair on Saturday. He’s thinking of the 2,500 volts that will be sent through his body every time he’s nailed by one of the big shots from the young lion Dubois.
“It’s war. We’re focused. We’re not in a happy vibe,” said Joshua to talkSport Boxing. “We are not in a happy vibe. We are locked in, ready to fight. Proving all my doubters wrong.”
Joshua had a flat affect when speaking, which didn’t match his words when he talked of this being “war” for him and wanting to prove all his “doubters wrong.” Flat affect is a symptom of someone with PTSD, and there are some who believe that Joshua has been suffering from that since his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.
If this is war, Joshua looks like he knows he’s going to catch some hot lead from the enemy and dread it.
This fight could be over with quite fast on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium in London. Dubois will nail Joshua with one of his hard power shots early, stunning him, and then blasts him to the canvas with several combinations. With Dubois’ power, there will be no getting up by AJ.
The positive from this is Joshua won’t have to suffer long on Saturday night because Dubois could end it quickly by knocking him out in the first few rounds. They say it’s better to get it right away because you don’t suffer.
