On 21st of September, 2024, I witnesses the absolute demolition and destruction of one of the supposed top 4 names in the modern heavyweight division; Anthony Joshua. Dynamite Daniel Dubois proved to be exactly that, detonating explosive bombs on Joshua and dropping him multiple times in the fight before stopping him in the 5th round. I have to admit, I predicted Joshua to win by stoppage in the 8th round after some early challenges. I believed Dubois would walk on to jabs and be picked off with counter punches that followed; I couldn't have been more wrong. It would be remiss of me to say that Dubois demonstrated any exceptional skills, showed drastic improvements or looked like he was ready for revenge against his former opponent (and conqueror, Oleksandr Usyk) or an all British bout against the Gypsy King, Tyson Fury.
While Joshua’s exceptional career (comparatively) is decorated with accolades like Olympic gold and the heavyweight championship, the realities of his recent performances reveal deep issues. He has not only suffered multiple beatings but has also been comprehensively outboxed twice, and both losses expose alarming weaknesses.
Usyk and Ruiz: The Blueprints for Joshua's Defeat
Joshua’s decline started with two brutal losses (for different reasons) that exposed the contrasting yet equally damaging flaws in his game. The first came in 2019, when Andy Ruiz Jr. (then 32-1) comprehensively dismantled him, revealing Joshua’s vulnerability to pressure and aggression. Ruiz provided the blueprint to bully, beat and batter Joshua, showing that, with the right approach, Joshua could be overwhelmed and broken down.
Then came Oleksandr Usyk, who twice outclassed Joshua with pure technical masterclasses. Usyk created the blueprint to outbox Joshua, demonstrating that Joshua’s size and power were no match for superior skill and ring IQ. Between these two broadly different fights, it became clear that Joshua doesn’t possess the adaptability required to compete at the highest level against the best opposition. He can be bullied by aggression and outfoxed by boxing ability — a dangerous combination for any fighter, especially one hoping to reclaim heavyweight glory.
Fragility: A Mental Battle Lost
Perhaps the most glaring issue Joshua faces is his seeming mental fragility. Since his defeat to Ruiz, he has been visibly hesitant in the ring, gun-shy, and unsure of himself. The problem is that, in my opinion, Joshua seems to believe his struggles are purely psychological, and as a result, he has over-invested in finding a team to nurture his fragile mindset rather than focusing on the technical aspects of his boxing. This misguided focus on the mental side has left his boxing skills stagnant, if not regressed.
Joshua’s belief that fixing his mindset will fix his performances has led him to seek coaches and teams that hype him up instead of challenging him. These coaches, eager to keep their star client, fail to address his fundamental flaws - those that do are quickly removed from the team. As a result, Joshua enters fights with the belief that his mindset is ready, only for his inadequate boxing skills to unravel when the punches start landing. This, in turn, crumbles his mental state further, creating a vicious cycle where he doubts himself even more with each defeat. Perked up by revenge against Ruiz and then a series of wins after his losses to Usyk, it seemed, once again, that Joshua had regained his mental fortitude - the reality was that the façade of positivity was present only when Joshua was in control.
Technical Shortcomings: No Defensive Responsibility
A former world champion and Olympic gold medallist, Joshua should possess a strong foundation in boxing fundamentals. However, his recent performance suggests otherwise. The fight against Dubois exposed the same technical shortcomings we’ve seen time and again: a lack of composure when caught, poor defensive responsibility in attack, and basic errors that shouldn’t exist at this level.
For me, Joshua carries far too much muscle, which may look imposing but severely hampers his stamina and mobility in the ring. This excessive bulk leaves him looking leggy and slow, especially as the fight progresses. From the first bell against Dubois, Joshua appeared nervous and uncomfortable, his movements stiff and lacking the fluidity needed to handle Dubois’ pressure.
His defensive flaws were just as concerning. Joshua’s jab was pawing and ineffective, his chin hung high in the air, and he often found himself falling over his front foot, leaving him off balance and vulnerable to counters. These aren’t the mistakes of a world-class heavyweight — they’re fundamental errors that should have been actively and relentlessly corrected years ago. Worse still, Joshua has no defensive strategy to protect himself when under pressure. His reflex when hit hard is to panic, lose composure, and retreat, falling out of shape, which makes him even more susceptible to follow-up shots.
Poor Corner Advice and Tactical Errors
Joshua’s lack of adaptability in the ring is compounded by the poor advice he receives from his corner. Against Dubois, it was clear that there was no structured game plan to deal with Dubois’ one-dimensional but powerful attack - they believed Dubois would be an easy victory. Instead of offering sound tactical adjustments, Joshua’s corner — including coach Ben Davison — seemed to encourage risky and poorly executed moves. At one point, Davison even suggested targeting the uppercut, a move that played right into Dubois’ hands and led to Joshua’s knockout in the fifth round.
Whilst Joshua had shown success when slipping the Dubois jab and countering with the rear uppercut, the manner in which he threw this punch left his chin exposed and his non punching hand by his chest - The kind of flaws a fighter can only acquire by habitually practising things wrong. That's the domain of the coaching team to address in camp.
The absence of a coherent strategy or advice on how to handle Dubois’ predictable right hand was baffling. Joshua was left to figure things out on his own in the ring, and the result was a disjointed, nervous performance with no sign of the structured gameplan you’d expect from a fighter of his calibre and championship experience. Strange displays of showboating did nothing to increase my confidence in Joshua, the opposite in fact, the need to perform these boasts demonstrated to me how mentally and physically vulnerable Joshua was feeling.
The Heart of a Champion? A Question of Mental Toughness
It’s no longer just a question of technical ability — it’s a matter of heart. Joshua’s performances in his recent challenging fights, including against Dubois, suggest that when the going gets tough, he falters. There’s a stark contrast between Joshua and other elite heavyweights who have been knocked down but come back to win. When Ruiz floored him in their first fight, Joshua couldn’t recover, both mentally and physically. He was similarly defeated in his rematch against Usyk, he mentally checked out after being outclassed in both contests.
What’s most alarming is that Joshua seems to thrive only when the odds are overwhelmingly in his favour. When he enters the ring confident of victory, and prepared to bully an opponent, he can perform. But the moment doubt creeps in — when he feels the fight slipping away — he becomes hesitant, gun-shy, and mentally defeated. This lack of mental toughness is a serious issue for a fighter who still hopes to compete at the elite level and avenge himself against opponents like Usyk and Dubois who, in spite of setbacks, never seem to falter.
Technical Mistakes: What needs to be fixed?
Anthony Joshua makes a few consistent errors. They are all simple and relatively fixable but, due to what I can only presume is a consistent lack of accountability in training, Joshua has compounded the value of these bad habits over a long period of time.
Hand Position - One of the first things you are taught as a young amateur is to ensure your non-punching hand is high. The thumb to chin enables you to catch jabs, parry straight shots and defend hooks without sacrificing position or tying up the lead hand. The land hand being down by the chest demands that your rear hand is active in defence - something that Joshua's never is.
Chin Position - Never step out with your hands down and your head up. Never lift your head when throwing punches. Tuck behind the shoulders and manage your position with rotation to ensure your head is simultaneously off the centre line and tucked into a position that enables trapezius engagement to resist punches.
Feet Position - When Dubois was hurt he created space and back up into boxing position, establishing a wide stance and setting his feet - this meant he could throw hard in spite of being hurt. When Joshua was hurt, on all of the occasions in the fight, he lost his shape, sacrificed his base and had no balance giving him no options to return fire.
Weight Distribution - Never, ever, ever (and I mean never) get your head over your front foot if it hasnt moved to a position that is unreachable to your opponent (such as resting against the opponents hip or shoulder). Your head shoulder always stay behind your lead knee - otherwise youre driving your weight into any shot the opponent chooses to throw and maximising the damage. You're also taking weight out of your shots and leaving yourself incapable of making adaptative movements to compensate for anything your opponent does.
Never Poke The Bear - a hurt animal is a dangerous animal, and a sleeping bear should never be poked. Always demonstrate restraint and control when you have an opponent hurt. It's very easy to walk yourself into shots by getting over excited. Set everything up from the jab, pick your shots, target the body to maximise the impact and bring the guard down, and keep your opponent on the defensive without smothering your own work.
Conclusion: Can Joshua Be Saved?
Anthony Joshua’s decline has been gradual but undeniable. The fight against Daniel Dubois was simply the latest example of a boxer who has lost his way. He’s been outboxed and battered, mentally broken, and physically diminished. His inability to adapt, his reliance on coaches who fail to challenge him, and his seemingly fragile mindset all point to a fighter who, despite his accolades, may never return to the heights of heavyweight boxing.
If Joshua has any hope of salvaging his career, it won’t come from finding another team to boost his confidence. Instead, he needs to strip his approach back to the fundamentals: addressing his defensive flaws, reducing his muscle mass for better stamina and fluidity, and, most importantly, rediscovering the mental toughness that champions need to survive the harsh realities of heavyweight boxing.
But the question remains: is Joshua willing to confront his weaknesses, or will he continue to rely on the hype that has propped him up for so long? Only time will tell, but if his performance against Dubois is any indication, the road to redemption will be a long and difficult one.
If you want to acquire a deeper understanding of exactly what I mean by boxing fundamentals and technical skills, then you can click on this link to grab a copy of my comprehensive book 'A Technical Guide To Boxing Fundamentals'
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