Heavyweight Boxing

Dick phelan

Just noticed Chisora is set to fight Joyce in July. Chisora shouldn't be getting a license at this stage. Talk about 2 guys going nowhere in their careers.

OmegaGene

Moses Itouma

Jared Anderson

Daniel dubois

Kabayel

Okolie will no doubt move up

Johnny fisher

Things are looking bleak folks

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122213959#Comment_122213959

Ah that’s the nature of things when Lewis finished up it was the end of an era but we then had a great champion in Wlad. Boring era then until Fury and Wilder came along and lit things up. Joshua too and then these guys began to get losses and look vulnerable. The overall standard isn’t the most important thing it’s about rivalry and interesting match ups. It’s a sin that so many of the best fights happened when the contenders were past their best but that’s the politics. You never know what’s around the corner. I think someone like Kabayel could really capture the imagination. If he were to have a trilogy (a good one) with the likes of Dubois or Anderson for belts if the fights were good we’d all be delighted.

OmegaGene

something to watch

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216178#Comment_122216178

that’s a cracker of a fight both coming off wins, both vulnerable in the past and both love a KO

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216178#Comment_122216178

any odds?

Butson

Good fight that and will generate a lot of interest in the UK.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216326#Comment_122216326

I’d personally prefer Zhang v AJ or Zhang v Dubois. Both more interesting; I have feeling AJ gets job done early n eazy v DD

OmegaGene

zhang will likely fight in China next, the market there is huuuuge

GHendrix

AJ is kind of hard to predict right now. He definitely looked quite sharp in his last 2 fights but he had an easy year or so rebuilding himself.

I’m not convinced that the mentally weak AJ is gone.

We’ll need to see him in with some tougher opponents to say for sure.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216848#Comment_122216848

Hmm I’m not sure they’re more interesting. Big opportunity for Dubois and if he can get a crack or two at Joshua then who knows. I’d have Joshua about 1/3

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122217932#Comment_122217932

Zhang v AJ interests me more because he’s a big sturdy unit. Takes a good shot, and has fight-changing power. I think DD will be a sitting duck for AJs style.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122217940#Comment_122217940

Hmm AJ going well possibly. I think his jab and combos will give Dubois a lot of trouble. But Dubois will hit back too and if he weathers the early storm then he can get to work himself. He’s on the up after those two fights and although Joshua won his I’m not that sure they’re real confidence boosters for him. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Dubois win this one.

loudbudgeting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216178#Comment_122216178

Talk about breaking someone's confidence and pushing your fighter too hard

He just got out of a war with Usyk, Big Pharma Mills and Hrgovic.

I took the AJ fight is too soon for Dubois. He willbe demolished… I will watch it though

GHendrix

I don’t rate Dubois at all. I think even Whyte currently would beat him and I’d like to see that fight.

I think AJ would fairly comfortably beat him.

Zhang has more tools to hurt AJ than Dubois.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218175#Comment_122218175

Whyte? How exactly? Other than a KO shot, he has eff all chance. He’s brutal!! Can’t put punches together to save his life.

I agree on AJ. I think AJ is all wrong for Dubois

loudbudgeting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218381#Comment_122218381

I think Whyte v Dubois will be a 50/50 fight actually. Definitely a closer fight than pushing Dubois out into the spotlight. I dont even think Dubois can handle the spotlight of Wembley!

Zhang v AJ would be been closer

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218075#Comment_122218075

But he’s not some beginner. He’s years a pro now. Has already challenged for a title. He won’t get much better, is highly ranked as well. What is he to do? Fight 3-4 more fights against weaker opposition for far far less money, as well as risking losing? And then what, he’s suddenly ready for AJ?

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218381#Comment_122218381

Whyte is a lot better than he gets credit for. Wins over Parker, Povetkin and Chisora were all reasonably impressive.
While he’s not elite, I think he gives anyone outside the top 3 a good fight. And he’s better than Miller.

I think it makes more sense for Dubois too. He ain’t ready for AJ. Whyte is a much more winnable fight for him.

yourdeadwright

Dubois will never be much better than he is now,

He has always relied on his size & power & that can only get you so far,

He'd be silly not to take th AJ fight for the money alone, Plus even if he loses to AJ he will get a fight against another top lad, No point fighting the lower ranked guy first & losing that then you never get the money fight

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218570#Comment_122218570

You’re mentioning performances from years ago, though. He has been pretty awful of late.

squinn2912

Dubois is better than Franklin and AJ was awful against him. Since that fight he’s had what? Three gimmes. His best days are behind him too. Usyk was unlikely to KO him so the fact that he went 24 rounds now makes it look like he’s great? When has he last beaten a good opponent? Wallin was expected to be more of a test but it was an easy fight. I think if he goes cautious then Dubois will get to him. If he goes aggressive then it’s a bit of a shootout and that can go any way. Dubois took some big shots against Hrgovic. The story is that Dubois couped Joshua in sparring years ago now. That adds to it as well. Zhang would be about a thousand by the time of the fight and if Joshua demolished him in a round or two or he gassed after 4 then would it be all that interesting?

eagle eye

I think Zhang would get AJ out of there early. We've all seen AJ go into his shell when he gets hit a couple of times and there's no hiding place with Zhang because he's not afraid of getting hit.

Dubois looked really good against Hrgovic after a poor start. Hrgovic didn't look fit so it's hard to know how good that performance from Dubois was but it looked impressive.

Its quite possible he learned a lot from.the Usyk fight and improved as a result.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122218866#Comment_122218866

I think this is bang on the button.

Not sure about Zhang but Joshua would definitely not like the taste of those shots and Zhang being southpaw wouldn’t help him much. Zhang would get tagged a bit by Joshua. Id expect Zhang 4-6 or Joshua wide points or stoppage from 8 on. Might well depend on him getting up like Hrgovic or Parker.

Hrgovic looked similar to the Zhang fight so lethargic and slow. Hands too low. Very unimpressed by him he looks awful lazy. Not very dynamic. I couldn’t see him being a great trainer and he doesn’t look like he wants to be there most of the time. Yet an arrogance.

I think Dubois made a decision after Usyk that he won’t just wait for the take the knee moment he’ll go for it. That makes him much more dangerous. His offensive performance against Hrgovic is enough to cause AJ real issues.

walshb

His offensive performance v Hrgovic was impressive, but he won't get that off near as well vs. AJ I feel. AJ will be hitting back cleaner and harder and longer than Hrgovic.

Key issues here are speed, length and defence. DD a bit slow of hands and feet, has a very basic defence and will be reaching more than AJ will be reaching.

Cyrus

id have AJ a big favorite against DD, but I guess you never know, can't see we have seen anything from Dubois that suggests he can beat Joshua

normanoffside

AJ dropped and badly hurt Zhang in the semi finals of the Olympics in 2012. It was arguably the only fight AJ actually won on his way to gold. He may well have Zhang's number based on that alone.

Personally I'd rather see AJ vs Dubois but I think AJ beats either of them very comfortably. the only real unknown in the contenders bracket is Kabayel.

OmegaGene

Aj is 1/5 with paddy power, he good to see him tested against the younger dubois

squinn2912

Joshua is and certainly should be the favourite. It’s unlikely that he would allow Dubois off the hook if he got on top of him like Millar and Hrgovic did. That said, he will have to wear a shot or two in the fight and that could still go any way. Joshua has had 3 wins now by stoppage that don’t really tell us a lot. Slow, sitting duck types. Dubois will have much more energy and if he goes after Joshua then that’s a very tough fight for him. I’ve seen him pressed on the sparring incident and he didn’t want to say a lot.

One thing I will say, I am not looking forward to the build up. Even Zhang has better English than Dubois!

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122219434#Comment_122219434

Porter has a win over Usyk in amateurs and it’s meaningless now. Fact that Zhang must have been about 28 at the time might be a bit more significant granted. I’d like to see Kabayel in with Zhang on the same card or Usyk Fury II. Parker should be in there too and keep active.