Joshua’s Defeat to Dubois: Another Nail in the Heavyweight Boxing Coffin
and the frustrating state of professional boxing
Anthony Joshua’s Saturday night defeat to Daniel Dubois has left boxing fans disheartened, marking another missed opportunity in a career that once seemed destined for legendary status. Dubois stopped Joshua in the fifth round, delivering multiple knockdowns and securing a victory that few expected.
Let’s not take anything away from Dubois, he delivered a confident and strong performance that fully deserved the victory. However, Joshua’s performance, far from the glory days of his peak, has fans questioning his future and how this fight fits into the broader picture of boxing’s failings.
This loss feels symbolic of a larger issue in boxing today—the sport’s reluctance to give fans the matchups they want when it truly matters. For years, British (and global) boxing fans have yearned for one particular showdown: Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury. A fight between these two titans at the peak of their powers could have been historic, transcending the sport and drawing in fans from all over the world. The fight could have filled Wembley Stadium multiple times over and at one time captured the broader global sports community.
But now, with both fighters no longer at their peak and Joshua suffering recent defeats, that once-electric anticipation has diminished. Yes, the fight could still sell out Wembley, but the magic of two dominant champions clashing has evaporated. This isn’t just about Joshua and Fury—it’s about boxing’s failure to deliver big fights when they are at their most meaningful.
Boxing, as a whole, has a problem with avoiding the matchups that fans desperately want to see, often waiting until it’s too late. Joshua vs. Fury was once the hottest ticket in combat sports. Now? The enthusiasm has waned. It reminds me of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, a fight that should have taken place years before it finally happened, long after both fighters were past their best. When they finally fought, it was more of a spectacle than a true test of greatness, and boxing fans were left wanting more.
This is where the UFC has succeeded while boxing has faltered. Dana White saw the flaws in boxing and capitalized on them, giving fans the matchups they wanted, when they wanted them. In the UFC, the best fight the best without years of delay or strategic manoeuvring. Boxing, by contrast, feels stubborn and almost arrogant, clinging to a business model that values financial strategies over the legacies of fighters. It risks alienating its most loyal supporters and almost certainly doesn’t help maintain and grow the casual fan base.
There are moments in time when history can be made, and the Joshua vs. Fury fight was one of those moments. These are the rare, once-in-a-lifetime events that have the potential to capture the imagination of the entire world, not just British boxing fans. The “Battle of Britain” could have rivalled the marketability of a McGregor-Mayweather showdown, even though that was an exhibition. However, boxing’s promoters and fighters, narrow-minded and arrogant in their thinking, believed that the opportunity would still be as interesting if they waited, they’ve been proven wrong.
Sports thrive on these rare history-making moments, like the Super Bowl or the World Cup final—events that generate global excitement because the best are pitted against the best. These teams roll the dice, risk everything, and let the chips fall where they may. That’s how true greatness is defined. Boxing, however, is too orchestrated. The puppet masters behind the sport seem more focused on protecting their financial interests than on allowing fighters to build their legacies.
I may be being a little harsh as we have had some good matchups in recent years. We’ve had the Fury vs Wilder trilogy which was great and Usyk defeating Fury and setting up a rematch this coming December but all too often the best and most exciting matchups the fans crave don’t get made at the right time.
In the end, Joshua’s loss to Dubois isn’t just a blow to his career at 34 years old—it’s a reminder of how boxing’s greatest opportunities can slip away due to greed and shortsightedness. We may still get Joshua vs. Fury, but when the moment finally arrives the hollow feeling of “what might have been” will linger, and fans will once again wonder why boxing doesn’t seize the opportunities to create true history in the ring.
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Not harsh at all. Very well said. Great article. Makes me want to watch boxing at its best not as it mostly is.