Anthony Joshua “buzzed, not dropped” by Daniel Dubois

Eddie Hearn wasn’t having any of it, the rumors swirling around about Anthony Joshua getting dropped by Daniel Dubois during sparring. You could see why the gossip was picking up steam, with Joshua and Dubois set to square off in a fight that had more than just a little bad blood behind it. But Hearn, always quick to step in when things get out of hand, flat-out denied the whole thing.

“Like any boxing rumors, sparring rumors, they’re always vastly exaggerated,” he said. And to be fair, you’ve heard enough wild stories about fighters getting floored in the gym to know he’s probably right. “AJ didn’t even get dropped,” Hearn continued, referencing Anthony Fowler’s Instagram post about the sparring session in question. “By all accounts, he got buzzed and they carried on sparring.”

And sure, getting buzzed in sparring - that’s part of the job. Heavyweights, men pushing 18 or 19 stone, swinging at each other with the kind of power that could knock down walls, it’s bound to happen. “I’d be astonished if any heavyweight can go through even one camp without getting buzzed,” Hearn said, shooting down the idea that Joshua was carried out of the ring like he’d been through a car crash.

The tension between Joshua and Dubois had been simmering for a while, especially after their little dust - up back in June. Joshua, usually the calm and composed type, threatened to throw a chair at Dubois, catching everyone off guard. But Hearn wasn’t concerned, not one bit. In fact, he seemed to like it.

“It’s quite funny because people say, ‘We haven’t seen that from AJ before,’” Hearn said, brushing off the incident. But to him, it wasn’t that out of character for Joshua. “If you go back to Dominic Breazeale, ten years ago, AJ did the same thing.” It turns out, the cool-headed exterior everyone expects from Joshua? That’s only part of him. There’s something else underneath - something more raw, more dangerous.

“He’s got that fight in him, he’s got the dog in him,” Hearn said, almost proud. And he’s right. Boxing isn’t just about skill, it’s about hunger, and Joshua’s got that edge, the kind that makes the difference in a fight like this one.

When they finally meet in the ring on September 21, it won’t just be a fight - it’ll be personal. Joshua’s been through the fire before, losing to Oleksandr Usyk twice and coming out the other side with wins over Robert Helenius and Francis Ngannou. He’s got something to prove, not just to Dubois, but to everyone who’s ever doubted him. And Dubois? He’s looking to make his mark, to show he belongs in the upper echelon of heavyweights.

But for now, it’s all just talk, rumors, and bravado - until the bell rings.