Comments Thread For: Here's What's Undisputed: Dubois-Joshua Is A Damn Fine Clash Of Heavyweight Contenders

[Willow The Wisp]

Excellent article. Accurate perspective in my view.
No real title on the line here of course. Usyk won that from Fury, who won it from Klitschko, who spent years regathering that distinction after Lennox Lewis retired.
But this is a good fight between two top contenders on a roll.

It's a fight with consequences as all such fights are.
Specifically in regards to legacy and determining which man "ranks higher" within their decade era.

Should Joshua Win decisively:

1. Oleksandr Usyk
2. Tyson Fury
3. Anthony Joshua
4. Deontay Wilder
5. Zhilei Zhang
6. Joseph Parker
7. Andy Ruiz Jr
8. Luis Ortiz
9. Daniel Dubois
10 Wladimir Klitschko (old ver)
11.Dillian Whyte
12.Joe Joyce
13.Agit Kabayel
14.Alexander Povetkin (old ver)
15.Jared Anderson
16.Filip Hrgovic
17.Jarrell Miller
18.Kubrat Pulev (old ver)
19.Charles Martin
20.Derrick Chisora


Should Dubois Win decisively:

1. Oleksandr Usyk
2. Tyson Fury
3. Deontay Wilder
4. Daniel Dubois
5. Zhilei Zhang
6. Joseph Parker
7. Andy Ruiz Jr
8. Anthony Joshua
9. Luis Ortiz
10.Joe Joyce
11.Wladimir Klitschko (old ver)
12.Dillian Whyte
13.Agit Kabayel
14.Alexander Povetkin (old ver)
15.Jared Anderson
16.Filip Hrgovic
17.Jarrell Miller
18.Kubrat Pulev (old ver)
19.Charles Martin
20.Derrick Chisora

[Roberto Vasquez]

It may be a good sell, but it's meaningless to the big picture of heavyweight division. Both beaten by Usyk, both chasing a mickey mouse strap

It's not meaningless - if AJ wins it sets up a Fury fight. It's backed by the Saudis, so it would happen. Uysk will most likely be moving back down to CW after the Fury fight...

[crimsonfalcon07]

Yes, it's a good match between contenders. But the winner is NOT the champion. F*** the IBF.

[joe strong]

Then you folks should also stop attacking Canelo and calling WBC corrupt allowing Canelo to ignore his mandatory challenger David Benavidez for years.

People tend to use double standards these days, one for their favo and one for the rest. Consistency sshould be valued when it comes to enforcing agreed rules. Usyk and Tipsy King knew befor they agreed an immediate rematch that the winner of the undisputed championship bout must first honour his IBF mandatory obligation with his next fight before the rematch can take place but now Usyk chose what is solely good for him and banked on sympathy from some section of the boxing community and media. And some folks are attacking IBF and try devalue the IBF champion. That is wrong.

Besises, the undisputed championship is not for a lifetime, you lose that status once you have lost one of the belts and it doesn't matter how. That AJ and DDD have lost vs Usyk in the past is totally irrelevant here for there's no guarantee that he will beat both of them again if he fights them. So, I don't buy this sentimental and nonsensical narrative some folks are trying to push into the throat of everyone.

Narrative “some” folk are trying to push? MOST fans, writers & posters think this fight is nothing more that a paper championship fight. Usyk is the only true & only HW champion in almost EVERYONE’s eyes…

[JakeTheBoxer]

They can fight for a British title, no problem.

But with Usyk being around and unbeaten the winner of this just can't be a legit world champ lol.

[Boxviewer]

Narrative “some” folk are trying to push? MOST fans, writers & posters think this fight is nothing more that a paper championship fight. Usyk is the only true & only HW champion in almost EVERYONE’s eyes…

Usyk was the undisputed heavyweight champion but now he's just a unified heavyweight champion. That's the fact.

It seems like boxing is the only sport where following the is perceived by some folks as an abomination. That's incredible. Rules should be the rules and respected. Period.

Besides, it was Usyk who has elected not to abide by the rule while he has benefitted from the same rule that made AJ to honour his mandatory status. You folks don't talk about that.

[Willow The Wisp]

Usyk was the undisputed heavyweight champion but now he's just a unified heavyweight champion. That's the fact.

It seems like boxing is the only sport where following the is perceived by some folks as an abomination. That's incredible. Rules should be the rules and respected. Period.

Besides, it was Usyk who has elected not to abide by the rule while he has benefitted from the same rule that made AJ to honour his mandatory status. You folks don't talk about that.

Rules? WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBU, IBU...rules?
Just what is that? Honor among thieves?

Just a quick review; the Sanctioning bodies do not, nor have they ever administered the sport.
That function is undertaken by national, state and local athletic commissions that are part of government.
Boxing is not a league of any kind and never has been since the early 1700's. It is structured as a freelance enterprise with promoters bidding for the boxer's professional services. The roll of the Sanctioning bodies is strictly to sell their Sanctioning to promoters and to maintain their proprietary rankings, which vaguely reflect the ratings published by boxing media such as The Ring, ESPN, USA Today, etc.

The Sanctioning bodies, however have a long history of impropriety, and are therefore deemed as untrustworthy.
They are strictly a profit institution.
Their "rules", therefore, should not be viewed as something to hold value, or even be followed, generally.

The holder of the most belts or even ALL the belts is NOT what determines the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Only possession of the single Linial title (Usyk at the moment) is deemed the champ.

There has never been two or more Heavyweight Champions at a given time, and there is not now.

Belts are useful for determining the top contenders at the capped weight divisions, where true lineage has been lost and corrupted, and are used for that purpose in conjunction with the media ratings.

This is understanding of our sport, first semester.

Thanks for reading.

[chicken-]

Joshy is gonna find out pretty quick that Doobie aint his sparring partner or an MMA guy turning up for a paycheck or an exhibition.

For a statr, The Princess will not be the A-Side guy so will have to ring walk first then watch Doobie parade around with the strap.

The look on AJ's face will be priceless!

I doubt it, Dubois is the only person I've ever seen take a knee and get counted out after getting hit with a jab. AJ has his issues, you could say he "quit" vs Ruiz, but he had taken a battering before that. Dubois decided he didn't belong and took a knee after a jab vs the guy AJ went 24 rounds with.

[pollywog]

I doubt it, Dubois is the only person I've ever seen take a knee and get counted out after getting hit with a jab. AJ has his issues, you could say he "quit" vs Ruiz, but he had taken a battering before that. Dubois decided he didn't belong and took a knee after a jab vs the guy AJ went 24 rounds with.

AJ has only had 1 full round of full contact boxing against an MMA guy in a crossover exhibition in the last year. Prior to that he put on a show for 6 rounds against his sparring partner who barely returned fire. Ring rust is an actual thing.

As soon as Doobie clips him, and he will, Joshy is in for a wake up call he might not be able to rouse from.

Yep Doobie took a knee against Usyk and Joyce and yep Parker got splattered by Joyce but they've rebuilt themselves into fighters entering their prime.

To say AJ is back and in prime form based on his past 4 performances after melting down to Usyk in his last loss is laughable.

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. AJ's is gonna taste of leather and he won't like it. How he reacts to it is the 64 thousand dollar question.

If Doobie wobbles AJ and smells blood it's not gonna end well.

[JakeTheBoxer]

I am actually looking forward this fight between two contenders. Dubois can punch.

I wonder how Joshua responds when Dubois starts throwing heavy shots, which will happen.

Dubois is much more dangerous than last 4 Joshua`s opponents.