Don’t get mental, man – Anthony Joshua fights Daniel Dubois

Hall of Famer Andre Ward told me, “Eighty percent of boxing is mental.”

Anthony Joshua has been called mental for several years now.

And not in a good way.

Three years ago, after losing a rematch to defending heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua grabbed the microphone and vented.

“If you knew my story, you would understand my passion,” Joshua told the bewildered boxing fans in Saudi Arabia. “I ain’t no f****** amateur boxer from five years old – that was an elite prospect from a youth. I was going to jail. I got bail and started training my ass off because if I got sentenced, I wouldn’t be able to fight.”

Joshua’s words were stunning and revealing. He even tossed a couple of championship belts out of the ring.

Boxing fans and writers have teed up Joshua since he was upset by Andy Ruiz in 2019. He fought Ruiz again six months later and won. But THAT didn’t matter. He looked gun-shy – shocking for a knockout puncher who stands six-foot-six and weighs 250 pounds.

A hunt and peck style didn’t suit him. The losses to Usyk sent him over the edge – for a while. Was his self-belief completely gone?

Not completely. Joshua changed trainers. He decisioned Jermaine Franklin and knocked out Robert Helenius. Despite that, a reluctance to engage was evident. He’d cock his right and not throw it. The slugger wanted to box. Think Rocky Marciano – metamorphosing into Gene Tunney.

An identity issue? Yes, until Joshua changed trainers again, joining forces with fellow Brit Ben Davison before he fought Otto Wallen. Davison has worked with former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. He revitalized Leigh Wood after he lost his title to Mauricio Lara.

Joshua and Davison clicked.

“The reason I was able to gel with Ben is because he doesn’t try to change your style,” Joshua told Alex Pattle of www.independent.co.uk six months ago.“He kind of looks at your attributes and adds to what you’re good at. I went to a stage where I was trying to change my style: a bit of back-foot boxing, box behind the jab, stick, and move, not be explosive, control the pace, and stuff like that. But Ben was like: ‘That’s not your body type! You’re a f***ing big unit, you’re explosive, go and knock f***ing people out. Basically, work to your body type. So, we got along in that sense. He gets it.”

Joshua dominated Wallen and blitzed Francis Ngannnou in less than two rounds earlier this year. The big guy appears to have found himself.

Anthony Joshua fights Daniel Dubois this Saturday in London. Dubois has dealt with negativity and questions about his heart.

Dubois has lost twice in 23 fights, but those losses defined him for a spell. A fractured eye socket suffered against Joe Joyce in 2020 was too much for Dubois to overcome. Three years later, he fought Usyk – taking a knee in round nine.

Promoter Frank Warren was very disappointed with Dubois, saying he should have “gritted his death” and continued. Dubois followed Joshua’s lead and changed trainers. Out was Shane McGuigan. In was Don Charles.

Dubois, with Charles in his corner, rallied to defeat Jarrell Miller.

Last June, Dubois ate several shots but still stopped undefeated Filip Hergovic.

Nobody questioned his heart afterward.

The fight could come down to who lands first.

Look for Joshua’s right hand to end matters before round seven.

Please note: The line, “Don’t get mental, man” is from the classic film Rocky, written by Sylvester Stallone.