Anthony Joshua has given an insight into what his perfect boxer would look like.
Joshua faces Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, London, UK on 21 September 2024 as he looks to become a three-time world champion.
The two British heavyweights will be battling it out for the IBF title after Oleksandr Usyk was forced to relinquish the belt just weeks after his victory against Tyson Fury.
To make matters even bigger, the winner of Joshua vs Dubois is likely to face the winner of the Fury vs Usyk rematch in a battle to become the undisputed champion of the heavyweight division.
Ahead of the fight, Joshua sat down with TNT Sports, where he built his perfect boxer based on these six attributes:
- Jab
- Heart
- Power
- Fight IQ
- Footwork
- Chin
The 34-year-old was given several high-profile boxers to select from but made some surprise choices.
- Who is Anthony Joshua? Step into the life of one of boxing’s biggest stars who is about to fight Daniel Dubois
Jab – Lennox Lewis
Regarded as many as being the greatest boxer of all time, Lennox Lewis’ jab was something to behold.
His devastating left-hand jab was often the downfall for so many of his opponents, who couldn’t cope.
Power was never the aim of the game when using the left jab, it was all about utilising it to set up a brutal shot on his right hand.
No matter the occasion, Lewis would have a jab, varying the style depending on the opponent to constantly catch them out.
Heart – Tony Bellew
You won’t find many more passionate fighters than Tony Bellew when it comes to boxing.
Holding onto the WBC cruiserweight title between 2016 and 2017, Bellew faced many challenges throughout his career.
Boxing is one of the very few sports where the entire outcome can change in a matter of seconds, which means you need the heart and desire to pick yourself up and carry on.
Nobody could ever excuse Bellew for having a lack of heart and to be successful at the top, you need it in abundance.
Power – Artur Beterbiev
Boxing fans will be able to see Artur Beterbiev in action in October when he takes on Dmitry Bivol in a fight that has got many excited.
Beterbiev has many strengths, but when building the perfect boxer, harnessing his power would be the absolute dream.
In his 20 professional fights, the Russian has won all 20 of those via knockout decisions. Feinting low and striking high while his opponent is off balance, Beterbiev’s power will leave them on the canvas.
Fight IQ – Mike Tyson
In all honesty, Mike Tyson could’ve qualified for any of these categories.
As one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time, fight IQ has to be inch-perfect and it helped to establish himself as a world champion, and one of the best in the history of the sport.
‘Iron Mike’ will have the chance to display his boxing IQ again when he faces Jake Paul in November and it could be crucial for him to get the win.
When thinking of the perfect boxer, we always think of the physical elements, however, the mental side of the sport is just as important.
- Who is Mike Tyson? Get to know the former heavyweight king who owned three tigers and is fighting Jake Paul
Footwork – Ryan Garcia
Footwork can make or break a boxer inside the ring.
A strong stance is crucial to avoid being knocked down and Ryan Garcia’s strong frame ensures that.
The American was one very flat-footed however in his most recent fight against Devin Haney, Garcia seemed to be on the balls of his feet, bouncing and moving around to take control of the ring.
Garcia’s quick, short steps, combined with the punching power of a Beterbiev makes for a mean combination.
Chin – Deontay Wilder
Maybe it’s because it was the only option available left, but to see Deontay Wilder picked for his chin left some boxing fans rather bemused.
In his fight against Zhilei Zhang, Wilder was caught with two brutal shots – one landing on the chin – that decked him onto the canvas.
A strong chin is vital in boxing. To be able to withstand the heavy blows throughout 12 rounds isn’t something that can be taught either.
In the comments of the post, one fan said: “Wilder and chin is anything but the perfect boxer haha.
“Amir Khan got a better chin than Wilder and that’s saying something,” claimed a second.
This person wrote: “Got unlucky with the chin,” while another stated: “Wilder with the chin is insane.”