Teddy Atlas breaks down how overconfidence cost Anthony Joshua title fight against Daniel Dubois: "He got a little reckless"
Daniel Dubois pulled off a stunning upset victory against Anthony Joshua on Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium in London. While the boxing community at large is still processing the result of the fight, renowned boxing trainer Teddy Atlas dissected the reasons behind Joshua's defeat.
Atlas pointed to a critical lapse in discipline and overconfidence in the later rounds as major factors for the loss. He also highlighted the fight's essence as a classic "will vs. skill" showdown.
While Joshua was regarded as the superior technician in the ring, Dubois entered the fight banking on his gritty spirit and refined skillset. According to Atlas, Dubois, having bounced back from earlier setbacks, entered the ring seeking redemption and respect from the boxing community.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV following the conclusion of the fight, Atlas said:
"[Dubois] backed up Joshua. The jab kept Joshua [at the] defensive and allowed him to come forward safely without getting caught. Then he caught Joshua, forced him into a bad habit of standing straight up, and kept catching him. At the end, give Joshua credit. He came back in that last round. But the funny thing was, he got overconfident. He started landing a little bit and felt good, coming forward, but he got a little reckless."
Check out Teddy Atlas' comments below (2:30):
Anthony Joshua gives credit to Daniel Dubois following knockout loss
Anthony Joshua dismissed retirement rumors following his fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. Despite the setback, Joshua expressed a strong desire to continue on his boxing journey.
Joshua addressed the speculations at the post-fight press conference and indicated that he's eager to keep fighting despite the defeat. He also lauded Dubois' performance, stating:
"Before I finish, we have to give credit to our opponent Daniel. When I sign up to fight opponents, I don’t really like them in my head anymore. But now that it’s done, I take my hat off to him and say well done. There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game. Fine margins will cost you at the top level."
Catch Anthony Joshua's comments below (51:30):