Simon Jordan isn’t convinced that Anthony Joshua is back to his best.
Several members of the boxing fraternity insisted Joshua had lost the fire in his belly after getting knocked out by Andy Ruiz in 2019, and then losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
The Watford powerhouse looked hesitant to pull the trigger in his first two comeback bouts after losing to Usyk, against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
But devastating stoppage victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in his most recent outings has led many to believe the Brit still has his ruthless streak intact.
Jordan remains unconvinced though.
Joshua is now set to face Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium for ‘Triple D’s’ IBF heavyweight title.
There were similar questions asked about Dubois after he saw out ten counts against Usyk and Joe Joyce on one knee.
Yet like Joshua, his public perception has been shifted by his last two performances – a pair of gritty wins against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
The narrative heading into this fight is that Joshua is ‘fully rehabilitated’ and therefore a strong favourite.
But Jordan believes AJ has more to prove before such a conclusion can be drawn.
“I think it’s a fascinating fight,” he said during the talkSPORT White and Jordan show on Tuesday afternoon.
“I don’t go with the camp that suggests that Anthony Joshua is fully rehabilitated, because ultimately he’s fought fighters that haven’t really hit him back at this moment in time.
“Jermaine Franklin had a little go, but ultimately [Robert] Helenius got knocked out without landing a glove on him.
“Wallin was nowhere near him, and with Ngannou Joshua did what should have been done to him by Tyson Fury.
“So I think that if Daniel detonates on him he’ll get PTSD because he’ll take him back to a space where the question is that Anthony Joshua hasn’t wanted to go – deep in the trenches.
“There’s a distinct possibility that Daniel Dubois is going to drag him in there, and if he does, it’s going to be a fascinating fight, because he’s got the power.
“We were writing about this kid three or four years ago, before the Joe Joyce fight, as ‘forget Joshua and forget Tyson Fury, this kid, dynamite, Daniel Dubois is the one to watch’.
“And then we’ve seen the challenges happen…
“I’m not sure he wins this fight but there is a bloody good chance he might.”
