Anthony Joshua will have had a 2016 sparring session running through his mind as he was repeatedly floored by the world Heavyweight champion eight years later.
By 2024, Anthony Joshua was getting back on track following back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk.
One of the all-time greats handed Joshua just his 2nd and 3rd losses of his career, becoming the undisputed champion at the expense of the Olympic gold medalist.
He bounced back with four wins in a row, including over Francis Ngannou after his fantastic debut performance against Tyson Fury, to set up a blockbuster British affair with Daniel Dubois.
It was not the first time they had met in a boxing ring, although Joshua would like to forget both of their meetings.
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Anthony Joshua was dropped in sparring by Daniel Dubois years before their fight
Joshua may have clashed with Dubois in his last fight in 2024, but his first taste of the power in “Dynamite’s” gloves was all the way back in 2016.
The pair sparred together at this time, when a young Dubois was trying to break into the Team GB squad and was brought in to train with the recently turned professional Joshua.
Rumors of their sparring matches were told over the years, but Joshua confirmed what happened in the build-up to his clash with Dubois during a pre-fight press conference.
The former world Heavyweight champion was asked if he had been dropped by Dubois, to which he confirmed that he had been “cracked” with a good shot by the young Heavyweight.
Joshua said: “He cracked me with a great shot,” Joshua admitted. “It’s my chance to get him back on Saturday. I’m looking forward to it.
“But we sparred hundreds of rounds, ‘innit?”.
This was not the last time this happened, as Joshua was dropped by Joey Dawejko before his fight with Andy Ruiz Jr.
However, things got much worse for Joshua when he finally fought Dubois for real.
Daniel Dubois repeated history when he knocked out Anthony Joshua in 2024
Despite having his chance to get back at Dubois, Joshua was once again humbled by his younger opponent when they battled in a world title fight.
They battled in the all-British clash at Wembley Stadium on September 21st, with Joshua attempting to get back on top by taking Dubois’ IBF Heavyweight belt from him.
However, it was the champion who had the last laugh. In a dominating performance, Dubois knocked AJ down an astonishing five times, completely outclassing the former world champion.
It was a fierce flashback to their previous sparring encounter, showing that the shot Dubois cracked Joshua with all those years ago was not a fluke, but a preview of things to come.
Had Joshua departed from his course, he could have altered the knockout yet to come, but instead, he tasted the pain of defeat against Dubois that night.