More aggressive Anthony Joshua would’ve fared better against Daniel Dubois, says Tony Bellew

How the fight started between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua led to how the fight ended, according to Tony Bellew.

Dubois came out looking to fight. Anthony Joshua came out looking to box.

“There was no warm-up or feel-out period in the fight, it was just ‘come out and let my hands go,’” Bellew said in an interview with Liam Solomon of Instant Casino. Bellew is a former cruiserweight titleholder who now does boxing commentary, and he’s also friends with Joshua. 

“Joshua came out and started fencing, and when you start fencing with this jab, if your jab isn’t sharp and strong to start the fight off with, you’re going to let someone in. This is a weapon, this is not a rangefinder, this is not a toy. This has got to be used as a weapon in the early part of a fight. 

“Lennox Lewis used to do it brilliantly. Lennox Lewis’ jab, he would come out and he would let you know who’s bossing them first. Boom, boom, straight down the pipe, and then he would ease his way in. Then the odd jab would be a speed jab, and it would be a variation of jab. But at the start of a fight, everything has to be sharp and fast. You do not want to be counted and get caught cold at the start of a fight.”

Joshua was caught with a clean right hand early in the first and then knocked down as the round came to an end. Joshua returned to the canvas again and again, downed in the third and fourth rounds. He had some success in the fifth and got overconfident, throwing a right uppercut while dropping his left hand, leaving himself wide open for a short right hand counter from Dubois, a destructive blow that put Joshua down for the count.

“He just didn’t let his hands go, and that’s the top and bottom of it, really,” Bellew said. “If Anthony Joshua meets him head on and lets his hands go, it’s George Foreman and Ron Lyle all over again but, I’ll tell you something, it’s over even quicker. I think that benefits Anthony Joshua. But obviously he didn’t feel the same. His team didn’t feel the same, and they adopted a different game plan. I understand what I’m saying is very risky. And it’s dangerous. But when your attributes stack up better than your opponent’s attributes — when you’re a little bit faster than your opponent, stronger, better technical ability, better footwork, better defense — I don’t understand why you don’t get into exchanges with them straight away.

“By the analogy I’ve just laid out, if you’re a bit quicker, you’re going to get there first. If you’re a bit more explosive, the shots are going to be more damaging. He just didn’t take that approach, and that’s on him and the team.”

Bellew disagreed with those who believe Joshua’s past success in the sport, be it his two title reigns or the riches he’s earned, have taken away his current hunger. There’s a saying often ascribed to Marvelous Marvin Hagler about how difficult it is to get out of bed early for road work when you’re sleeping in silk pajamas.

“The last thing Anthony Joshua has is the silk pajama effect,” Bellew said. “I’ve watched him in training camp in Texas with the likes of Derrick James. I’ve watched how he works, how diligent he is with his preparation. He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen in heavyweight boxing, if not the best as an athlete and a specimen. What’s happened is, he’s been shook to his boots in that first round, and that right hook would have knocked out a horse. To get up and carry on fighting after getting nailed so hard, you’ve seen the stills and the slows on the shot. It’s on the button. It’s bang on the button. There’s nothing wrong with Anthony Joshua’s chin, because he got up.

“I think the ‘silk pajama effect,’ that’s a tired, easy analogy to give. He gets in there. He’s in great shape,” Bellew said. He soon added: “The only thing that gets you up is fitness. How fit are you? And as you know, getting fit happens in those 14 weeks before the fight, during the camp. Anthony Joshua gets off the floor after getting hit with sledgehammers, mate, and to get up like that shows you how fit he was. To be that fit, you’ve got to work so hard in camp.”

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.