Is there a way that Daniel Dubois can beat Anthony Joshua?

Daniel Dubois is the title holder, the IBF Interim Heavyweight World Champion. Coming into this weekend’s bout, Anthony Joshua is the challenger. Not that you would know it if you listen to the boxing press and fans. The two-time unified champion is the favorite to swipe the belt off of Dubois. But not everyone thinks that it is such a done deal.

The legendary Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed world champion prior to Oleksandr Usyk’s stunning win, and perhaps the greatest British champion ever, certainly thinks so. When asked about Dubois’ chances, Lewis didn’t mince words. “Daniel has the championship belt and he has to go out and defend it,” Lewis said. “It’s hard to get the belt, but it’s even harder to keep it. He’s in a position now where people might look at him as an outsider, but he can say, ‘No, you’re wrong, I’m the champion, I can beat the champion, and this is my time.’”

Dubois’ confidence mirrors that sentiment. Since being upgraded to IBF champ after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt, Dubois has been on a mission to prove he deserves it. His eighth-round stoppage of Filip Hrgovic gave him that interim title, but as Dubois himself admits, “I need to legitimise it, win it, and show the world I am the man.”

He’s right. Beating Anthony Joshua would solidify his place among the elite, and it’s not just about holding the belt anymore - it’s about earning respect. Dubois knows what’s on the line. “I am in the right place at the right time, and I just need to stay in my bubble and stay focused,” he said, determined to block out the noise.

Joshua, on the other hand, is no stranger to the pressure of championship fights. He’s been here before, many times. But after suffering back-to-back losses to Usyk and stepping back from the unified throne, some doubted if AJ had what it takes to return to the top. Yet, wins over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and even former MMA star Francis Ngannou have put him back in the conversation. Joshua, ever the professional, doesn’t see this as a do-or-die moment. He’s still got time. “If I wanted to fight for another four years, I could do that easy,” Joshua said recently, his body apparently still in top condition. But there’s a sense of urgency, too. He knows what Dubois brings to the ring - youth, hunger, and the desire to shock the world. “I’m going to fight someone who wants it and is passionate. It’s going to be electric.”

That passion may be Dubois’ key to victory. At 27, Dubois is still younger and arguably fresher than Joshua, despite the brutal nature of his loss to Usyk last year, where a knockdown was controversially ruled a low blow before Usyk finished him in the ninth round. Some, like Chris Eubank Jr., believe Dubois was robbed in that fight. “That body shot was a blow in my opinion, so he should have beaten him,” Eubank Jr. said, voicing what many fans felt after that bout.

But boxing is a sport of what-ifs, and Dubois doesn’t dwell on that night. Instead, he’s laser-focused on the challenge ahead, knowing full well that a win over Joshua would elevate his status like nothing else. Joshua may be the favorite, with his Olympic gold medal and years of experience, but Dubois is more than just a stepping stone. He’s got power, size, and, most importantly, belief in himself.

Joshua’s experience can’t be discounted, though. He’s faced the best and knows what it takes to dig deep. Eubank Jr. put it best when he said, “He’s done that on a number of occasions now and I know how hard that is.” Joshua’s been knocked down, doubted, and even written off at times, but he’s still here, still chasing greatness.

So, can Dubois beat Joshua? It’s possible. He’s got the power to hurt Joshua, and if he catches him on the right night, when the stars align just so, Dubois might walk out of Wembley with the win. But make no mistake, Joshua’s not going to hand it to him. He’ll bring everything he’s got, and then some.

This is one of those fights that could go either way. It could be the moment Dubois announces himself as the future of the heavyweight division, or it could be Joshua’s triumphant return to the throne. Either way, both men know what’s at stake. Dubois may have a puncher’s chance, but in boxing, sometimes that’s all you need.