“If AJ’s done that, they should certainly be putting Daniel Dubois in there now after he beat him,” Warren said on talkSport Boxing.
The comment immediately raises an uncomfortable question about Joshua’s own résumé.
Joshua’s career has been commercially massive and historically important for British boxing, but the actual list of elite wins has long divided fans. His biggest victory remains the 2017 win over Wladimir Klitschko, who was 41 years old and coming off a long layoff following his loss to Tyson Fury.
Joshua also owns wins over Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte, and Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch, but critics have questioned how many of those victories came against opponents at their best. Parker fought Joshua in a heavily criticized tactical fight years before becoming the more aggressive version seen today, while Povetkin was already nearing the end of his career.
Even the Ruiz rematch has remained debated because Ruiz entered the second fight visibly heavier after months of partying and celebrity attention following his upset win in New York.
That is why Warren’s Hall of Fame comparison may say as much about the modern heavyweight era as it does about Dubois himself.
Dubois has losses to Joe Joyce and Usyk, but he also owns stoppage wins over Joshua and Wardley and has rebuilt his standing quickly after many had written him off.
If Joshua’s résumé is considered enough for eventual Hall of Fame recognition, some fans will argue the standard itself may not be especially high in this heavyweight generation.
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