Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois officially confirmed as AJ attempts to join Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis in exclusive elite club
Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois has now been officially announced for September 21 at Wembley Stadium.
Oleksandr Usyk has vacated the IBF heavyweight world title, which will now be at stake for his two former foes.
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Dubois, who won the IBF 'interim' belt in his win over Filip Hrgovic at the start of this month, has now been upgraded to become the full champion.
This makes him a legitimate heavyweight world champion for the first time in his career and also opens up a door for AJ.
Joshua is already a two-time champ and now has the opportunity to make history.
If he wins on September 21, he will become just the sixth three-time heavyweight world champion in boxing history.
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The first was Muhammad Ali, who beat the likes of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks in his truly legendary career.
Next was Michael Moorer, who moved up from light-heavyweight and claimed the lesser-recognised (at the time) WBO belt before beating Evander Holyfield for the WBA and IBF crowns. He later won the IBF again following a defeat to George Foreman.
Holyfield remarkably surpassed Moorer though, beating him in their rematch and going on to become the only four-time heavyweight world champion in boxing history with two wins over Mike Tyson. He was also undisputed king at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Lennox Lewis ended Holyfield's third reign though as he crowned himself undisputed champion on his way to becoming a three-time heavyweight champion himself. He bounced back from defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, beating both men in rematches to regain his belts, and also toppled Tyson.
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And finally, most recently, Vitali Klitschko won the lesser-recognised (at the time) WBO belt before twice becoming WBC king following his loss to Lewis.
These are the historic champions whose footsteps Joshua will look to follow in on September 21.
AJ first won a world title in 2016, when be beat Charles Martin for the IBF.
He then toppled Wladimir Klitschko and Joseph Parker to add the WBA and WBO belts to his collection.
Three-Time Heavyweight World Champions
- Muhammad Ali - 1978
- Michael Moorer - 1996
- Evander Holyfield - 1996
- Lennox Lewis - 2001
- Vitali Klitschko - 2008
In 2019 though, Andy Ruiz shocked the boxing world by knocking him out to claim all three belts.
Six months later, AJ outboxed him to regain them and become a two-time champ, famously roaring: "The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice."
In 2021, Joshua was dethroned again by Usyk though and lost the rematch too, which was his first opportunity to become a three-time king.
After four straight wins, he is now back in position for a shot at history.
On September 21, either AJ will reign again or the Dubois era will be well and truly underway.
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