“Eddie Hearn Warns: Daniel Dubois’ Head Could ‘Explode’ Under Pressure of Anthony Joshua Showdown!”

Eddie Hearn has predicted that the pressure of a fight with Anthony Joshua will overwhelm Daniel Dubois, claiming the younger fighter’s “head will fall off” at Wembley.

 

On Saturday, Dubois will defend the IBF heavyweight title against fellow Briton Joshua, having been promoted from interim champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, believes the occasion could be too much for the 27-year-old as he faces “AJ”, a 34-year-old with extensive stadium fight experience.

 

“Dubois, I think his head will fall off on Saturday,” Hearn told reporters on Monday (16 September). “But that might make him more dangerous! I’m not sure he’ll stick to his gameplan. He could come out like a bull again, which is dangerous, but he might also get knocked out.”

 

Hearn pointed to Dubois’s August fight with Usyk, a stoppage loss in a Polish football stadium. “He’s got the benefit of the Usyk fight in Wroclaw, but Wembley is a whole different level. You could even see the pressure in the head-to-head. The key will be whether Dubois can keep his cool and execute his strategy.”

 

Hearn added that Dubois won’t handle the pressure like Joshua, drawing comparisons to Edgar Berlanga’s emotional state before his fight with Canelo Alvarez. Hearn also mentioned the significant role Dubois’s father has played in motivating his son during recent fights, noting: “His dad won him the last two fights – definitely the Jarrell Miller fight.”

 

While acknowledging Dubois’s punching power, Hearn refused to call him the hardest hitter in the sport, ranking other fighters – including Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz, and Francis Ngannou – higher on the list of knockout power.

 

Dubois will look to defy the odds on Saturday, but Hearn remains skeptical about how the younger fighter will handle the pressure of fighting a seasoned star like Joshua in front of a massive crowd at Wembley.