Joshua vs Dubois press conference LIVE: Heavyweights seek upper hand before Wembley showdown

And to Buatsi, Joshua’s face is even more familiar than it is to the average boxing fan. The two Joshuas have been good friends for years, and Saturday will mark the fourth time they have shared a fight card. In 2017 and 2018, Buatsi competed on the undercard of “AJ”’s victories over Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker, at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. In 2019, Buatsi was there at Madison Square Garden to do a job when Joshua, for the first time in his professional career, failed to do his own and lost to Andy Ruiz Jr.

Still, there won’t be time for niceties. “We’re very much in our own lanes [on those days],” Buatsi tells The Independent. “I understand that he’s got something to do, I’ve got something to do. It’s not time to be chatting to each other – it’s not time to be talking to a lot of people, bro.”

Joshua’s promoter believes the occasion may get to Dubois, 27, as he faces 34-year-old “AJ”, a fighter with plenty of stadium experience.

“Dubois, I think his head will fall off on Saturday,” Hearn told reporters on Monday (16 September). “But that could make him more dangerous!

“I’m not sure he’ll be able to execute his specific gameplan, I think he could come out like a bull again – which is dangerous, and might be his best chance, but he might get bumped!”

Anthony Joshua has insisted that he is “willing to die” against Daniel Dubois on Saturday, as the Britons clash at Wembley Stadium.

For Joshua, the main-event contest represents a chance to become a three-time world champion, and “AJ” is adamant that he will leave everything in the ring to achieve that goal.

“This is the thing with fighting: it takes more than being strong to be a champion and a good fighter,” Joshua told reporters on Monday (16 September). “It’s good, but I truly believe from what I’ve read and studied – and from what great people who have come before me have said – it takes more than being a physical specimen to be a fighter.

“It’s a good attribute, but when you come across someone who’s willing to take that from you, and you’re giving them your best shot and they’re taking it, that’s when you figure out what it takes to be a champion. I’ve been there, I’ve been to the well. [Dubois] is fighting someone that’s willing to die in there, that wants to give everything to be victorious.”

Today’s press conference is the second between Joshua and Dubois, who also shared a stage in June.

On the day of their first press conference, Joshua and Dubois also conducted a joint interview, in which AJ threatened to “put a chair across” his opponent’s “f***ing face”.

Last October, a boxing ring appeared from a depth of 26ft inside a black hole in the middle of the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital: the new capital of boxing. The ring was for Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou; the best two men in their respective sports, boxing and mixed martial arts. It was the launch of the boxing revolution.

Earlier that night, outside the giant building, six other fights took place, including a British title fight. It was the start, and two months later – in the shadow of Christmas – it was Anthony Joshua’s turn to fight in the same ring. On that night, as many as five of the eight bouts would have been main events on any given Saturday night in the UK.

Steve Bunce looks at the Saudis’ role in Joshua vs Dubois:

In his complicated career, Anthony Joshua has headlined numerous stadium shows, the majority of them on the strength of his own name, brand and legacy. In fact, the only exceptions were arguably his victory over Wladimir Klitschko and first defeat by Oleksandr Usyk – both of which were seismic sporting events all around. So, what about Saturday’s headline contest: an IBF heavyweight title fight with Daniel Dubois?

In fairness, this bout probably belongs in the latter camp. It is true that Dubois, 27, is not yet in a position where he can fill stadiums regardless of his opponent, as “AJ” first did at the same age. But his reputation is as strong as it has ever been, and Joshua himself is resurgent.

And so Joshua will fight in stadium for the first time since his first clash with Usyk, in 2021, while Dubois does so for the second time in his career, having made his debut in such a venue last August – against Usyk, no less.

Since losing the unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failing to regain them in 2022, “AJ” has been near-perfect: outpointing Jermaine Franklin then stopping Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Dubois bounced back from his own loss to Usyk – a stoppage defeat last August – with TKOs of Jarrell Miller in December and Filip Hrgovic in June. The latter result won Dubois, 27, the interim IBF title – which was upgraded when Usyk vacated the official belt.

And so the IBF title is on the line at Wembley this weekend, but before then, Joshua and Dubois will make their final statements at today’s press conference.