Anthony Joshua Must Defeat Daniel Dubois To Set Up Fury Showdown, Says Roy Jones Jr.

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Roy Jones Jr., a former heavyweight champion, believes Anthony Joshua must defeat Daniel Dubois to secure a future bout with Tyson Fury. This Saturday at Wembley, Joshua will face IBF world heavyweight champion Dubois, aiming to reclaim his position at the top. Joshua returns six months after defeating Francis Ngannou in the second round, marking his fourth consecutive win following losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua previously held the title he is contesting this weekend, having defeated Charles Martin in 2016. He retained it for five fights while also claiming the WBO, WBA (Super), and IBO titles. The 34-year-old faces a significant challenge under Wembley's arch as Dubois claimed the IBF title against Filip Hrgovic in June.

The pressure of performing before a record crowd of 96,000 in London weighs heavily on Joshua. Expectations are high for him to secure victory and set up a long-awaited match with Fury. Despite their verbal exchanges over the years, they have yet to meet in the ring. Fury is scheduled for a rematch with Usyk in December after losing to him by split decision in May.

Jones Jr., who won 66 out of his 76 professional bouts, insists that Joshua needs to triumph over Dubois to satisfy British boxing fans eager for a showdown with Fury. "Well, he's hungry. He's still searching for direction. And, I think he found a good direction with the training he has now," Jones Jr told Stats Perform.

He added that despite Joshua's two losses to Usyk and Fury potentially losing twice to Usyk as well, UK fans are still keen on seeing Joshua face Fury. When asked about predicting the winner, Jones Jr emphasized that there is more pressure on Joshua to succeed.

The Stakes Are High

"He has to win that fight," Jones Jr stated. "And the only way I think he'll lose it is if he gets knocked out, which I don't think will happen." For boxing enthusiasts and his supporters' sake, Joshua must emerge victorious because people are eager to determine who is superior between him and Tyson Fury.

The anticipation surrounding this potential clash continues to build as both fighters navigate their respective paths. The outcome of these upcoming matches could significantly shape the future landscape of heavyweight boxing.