Former world champion Billy Joe Saunders has praised Anthony Joshua‘s punching power ahead of his upcoming fight with Daniel Dubois later this month, likening it to a car crashing into a wall.
Saunders, who has watched Joshua train up close, believes the British heavyweight is in excellent form and poses a significant threat to Dubois.
Having worked closely with elite heavyweights, including his friend Tyson Fury, Saunders predicts Dubois could face a tough challenge at Wembley Stadium on September 21. Joshua, the Watford-born fighter, has rebuilt his career with a four-fight winning streak following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Under the guidance of Saunders’ former trainer Ben Davison, Joshua has secured victories over Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou.
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While speaking to Box Nation, Saunders couldn’t contain his admiration for Joshua’s renewed power and focus. “I watched AJ recently up close training in the Ben Davison camp; I pop in there now and then just to have a look,” said Saunders. “Watching AJ, it seems to me that he has a new lease of life. He seems like he’s reborn again; he’s believing. Up close, watching him throw a right hand, it was scary, scary power — it’s like a car doing 100mph into a wall. He’s hitting the pads with so much force.”
Saunders is convinced that the showdown at Wembley won’t go the distance, suggesting that Dubois may struggle to keep up with his more seasoned opponent. “Someone’s getting knocked out; it definitely ain’t going the distance,” he added. “With all due respect to Dubois, who is a dangerous guy, he makes mistakes, and he is not a difficult fighter to work out. What he does have — he’s very strong, and he can punch, and he’s physically a problem. But he makes a lot of mistakes.”
Joshua knows there’s no room for slip-ups against Dubois. A defeat could end his hopes of a redemption bout against Usyk or the long-awaited all-British showdown with Tyson Fury. Saunders believes that Joshua understands the importance of a dominant victory and predicts that he will secure the win, setting up career-defining bouts in the near future.
“I think the momentum from an AJ win in style would take him into a massive 2025, which, funnily enough, could be the defining moment of his career,” Saunders concluded. “Anything other than a Joshua win will likely leave him with a lot of thinking to do about his future. However, if he is successful in eye-catching fashion, then the heavyweight division will — once again — be one of the most exciting weight classes in all of boxing.”
