Eighteen months ago Hearn and Warren hadn't even spoken, never mind being in a room working together, but that has all changed with both British promoters keen to keep strong ties with Riyadh Season.
There is more to come, but for the first time it will mean hosting a card in the United Kingdom with Wembley Stadium the setting for this Heavyweight World Title bout. The winner will go on to bigger and better things in Riyadh, but the losing fighter will also have opportunities to come again and the IBF World Title is on the line after Oleksandr Usyk was almost forced to relinquish the belt.
A decent undercard has also been put together, but I am not convinced the extra seating was needed as all look to pronounce this as the highest attended Boxing fight at Wembley. That announcement will be made, but there are plenty of giveaways and you can still buy tickets, but a WWE approach of fudging numbers is to be expected.
Make no mistake, a very decent crowd will be in attendance and there will be a really good atmosphere, while the main event could produce plenty of fireworks. This is all good news and the hope for UK fans is that more of these events will be hosted in the country, especially in a year where there has been a genuine complaint about the lack of big fights/nights taking place.
The last couple of events have not been very positive for the Boxing Picks, but the management of the units has been important to keep the year in the black.
More has to be expected from the selections, and the hope is that we will see that kickstarted this weekend with a couple of big names headlining different cards.
Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois
To paraphrase the late, great Sid Eudy, the IBF continue to make 'bogus' decision when it comes to their World Titles, and stripping Oleksandr Usyk for going into a rematch with Tyson Fury might be the 'most bogus act they've ever pulled off'.
So now we have Daniel Dubois calling himself a World Heavyweight Champion and Eddie Hearn proclaiming that his man, Anthony Joshua, can sit alongside some of the Heavyweight greats of the past by becoming a 'three time' World Champion.
It's bogus.
Take nothing away from the main event, it's a good fight and one that would be worthy of giving us the next Number 1 contender to the winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch that is set to take place in December. But the winner of that fight should be the only Heavyweight Champion walking around and all of the governing bodies should be ashamed that is not the case with their fees more important than anything else.
This has frustrated fans for years and it would be a very good day when these kind of things are no longer happening or simply not allowed to happen.
The red Belt will be given to the winner of this fight, but it is Daniel Dubois who will be bringing it into the ring at Wembley Stadium, even if it very much feels like he is the Challenger. Daniel Dubois not someone who will be making speeches that will go viral, but he is a solid Heavyweight and one who will feel is entering a career defining fight.
His respect has been there for Anthony Joshua by describing himself as the 'King Slayer, while Dubois has picked up solid momentum with his wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic since losing his World Title bid against Oleksandr Usyk. Daniel Dubois showed plenty that day in August 2023, but taking another knee was not a good look and something had to change.
Confidence looks much improved now having come through the verbal warfare waged by Miller and then taking plenty of shots that had onlookers wincing before breaking down Filip Hrgovic.
It is encouraging for Dubois to show he can come through a storm, but most observers will also note that the Champion cannot afford to take the same kind of flush shots from someone who hits as big as Anthony Joshua.
Technically he is a fine puncher and Joshua looks relaxed and happy within his current surroundings and that makes him very dangerous. Like his opponent, Anthony Joshua has been rebuilding himself after consecutive defeats to Usyk and four straight wins have propelled him back to the top.
Activity has been important for Joshua who beat Jermaine Franklin in April 2023 in a largely forgettable bout before showing improvement in Knocking Out Robert Helenius in the Seventh Round, forcing Otto Wallin to call it a day at the end of the Fifth Round and then wiping out MMA star Francis Ngannou in just two Rounds.
It has certainly gotten people talking about Anthony Joshua again and winning this fight and holding a version of the World Title will mean going into 2025 looking to have one more crack at becoming Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, which has long been the ambition for him, his promoter and all around AJ.
The reality is that this feels his most significant test since those losses to Oleksandr Usyk and you have to believe that Anthony Joshua is going to be tested far more by a young, hungry Daniel Dubois than any of his last four opponents. This time the fighter across the ring is a genuine threat, one who is amongst the stronger Heavyweight contenders out there.
Anthony Joshua's experience edge may be important, especially when it comes to headlining these massive nights in the United Kingdom. However, he is an older fighter now and one that weighs in considerably heavier than when he was beaten by Usyk and that likely means Anthony Joshua is much easier to find in the ring than when he tried to become a lighter Boxer on his feet.
It should make for a fantastic main event, albeit one that may not last very long.
Daniel Dubois will want to show that he has the power edge in the fight and he has arguably shown a bit more punch resistance compared with Anthony Joshua. The younger Heavyweight had his eye closed by Joe Joyce, but took plenty of shots from a then imposing opponent and people have almost forgotten that Dubois was up on the cards before he decided to save himself to fight another day.
Ultimately it was the correct decison, even if Dubois has been labelled a 'quitter'.
The shots taken against Filip Hrgovic shows the resiliency that Daniel Dubois does have, although taking those on Saturday may see him break down a bit quicker.
In saying that, Anthony Joshua still has something of a vulnerability when it comes to being given a good crack back and it has been a long time since he has faced someone as outwardly dangerous as Daniel Dubois looks to be. The last four opponents have been good confidence builders for the former two time World Champion, but he may have to show more in this one and it really feels like a fight that won't take too long to really ignite.
The lean has to be with Anthony Joshua if only for his experience edge in fighting on this kind of headline event, while Daniel Dubois has been without his trainer Don Charles. Rumours abound of some kind of falling out between Dubois and Charles, which has been denied, but this has been a very important figure in rebuilding the Champion and his absence would feel like a huge blow.
Daniel Dubois has decent fundamentals, a rock solid jab and perhaps the power edge so you don't want to rule him out.
Much like Edgar Berlanga's best approach should have been to get after Canelo and see if the miles on the clock have added up, Daniel Dubois might need to get after Anthony Joshua early. That could leave him open to a big counter, but Dubois may buzz the former Champion and all in all, this main event feels like one that should be over inside the first half, either way.
The Wembley card is being run under the Riyadh Season banner and it is no surprise that a solid undercard has been put together, plus an early preview of how Liam Gallagher will sound when the Oasis concerts begin next year.
It is a bit of a shame that Liam Smith has had to pull out of the event, but Josh Kelly has been handed a very interesting replacement in Ishmael Davis and this looks a rock solid fight.
Experience is with Josh Kelly, but Davis looks highly motivated and extremely confident even if he is stepping up his level and you can understand why the layers are finding it so tough to separate the two with a lot of belief.
Replacements can cause problems as one half of the main event will tell you so Josh Kelly has to be on his game- he can ill-afford a defeat at this stage of his career and so this is a pressurised spot for him.
But one fighter who has handled the pressure of being 'hand selected' by Turki Alalshikh is Mark Chamberlain who is expected to open up the card.
His last two fights have actually been in Saudi Arabia, and Chamberlain has Stopped his last five opponents, although he is fighting at his heaviest weight and against an unbeaten fighter.
Josh Padley will be fighting with that confidence of having never been beaten, but this feels a considerable step upwards in terms of level of opponent and Mark Chamberlain may continue to impress the Saudi backers with another early night.
The remainder of the undercard involves fighters that may be looking to get one more really big win out of the way and then challenge the elite of their respective Divisions.
At Light Heavyweight, an undercurrent of tension has surrounded Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson and there is no love lost between the figthers.
In recent years, Joshua Buatsi has always been mentioned as a potential World Champion and has just been on the edge of a fight for a World Title, but it simply has not happened. It is widely accepted that he turned down an opportunity to face Dmitry Bivol and Buatsi has lost some momentum after beating Dan Azeez back in February.
He has not been out since with a rumoured monster fight against Anthony Yarde failing to materialise, but the WBO Interim World Title is on the line on Saturday.
Winning would make Joshua Buatsi a leading contender to take on whoever wins the Light Heavywight Undisputed fight between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev which takes place in three weeks time, but the focus is on Willy Hutchinson for now.
The Scot has gotten under the skin of the higher profile fighter, but Willy Hutchinson is more than a wind up merchant.
Willy Hutchinson's career looked to be moving very positively until he ran into Lennox Clarke and was brutally stopped in the Fifth Round in a British Super Middleweight fight. That was back in 2021 and Hutchinson was out of the ring for over a year before returning at Light Heavyweight.
Four wins in a row against opponents he was expected to beat rebuilt the confidence before Hutchinson deservedly beat Craig Richards in June in Saudi Arabia. That has given him this opportunity to gatecrash the top of the Light Heavyweight scene both domestically and globally, but this is another big step upwards and Joshua Buatsi can be a spiteful finisher.
With no love lost, this should be a feisty contest, but Joshua Buatsi looks like he is firmly with his eyes on the man next up to face him. Unlike with his friend Dan Azeez, Joshua Buatsi may not take a step off if he hurts this opponent and he can maintain his unbeaten record with a late finish.
It is going to be a very good Light Heavyweight contest and you have to expect fireworks when Anthony Cacace and Josh Warrington get into it in the Super Featherweight Division.
They clearly respect one another and both are looking forward to the first bell, but there is a unbelievable amount of intensity soaring through the roof when Cacace and Warrington have been within any kind of proximity to one another.
The styles should gel really nicely and even the IBF's latest 'bogus' move should not have an impact on the actual contest.
It was supposed to be for the IBF World Title that Anthony Cacace ripped from Joe Cordina in an awesome display, but the IBF in all of their wisdom have decided to change the parameters on fight week rather than three months ago when the fight was announced. Now only Cacace can leave with the World Title, but an upset in favour of Josh Warrington will mean a vacated Belt, another embarrassment for an organisation that is becoming more and more irritating to fans, fighters and promoters alike.
On the actual fight, Anthony Cacace looks to be moving in a positive direction and it is fair to say that Josh Warrington may have had his best years. The style of the Leeds man means he has plenty of wear and tear on the body, and that has begun to let him down in recent fights.
He is stepping up in weight and feels stronger at Super Featherweight, but Anthony Cacace hits much harder than his Stoppage record suggests and he won't have to go looking for his opponent. At times it could be rough, but Cacace looks capable of dealing with all Josh Warrington brings to the ring and he can then move through the gears and find another Stoppage against one of the bigger names in British Boxing.
The chief support on the night is going to be provided by Hamzah Sheeraz and it feels a matter of time before he is headlining a big card himself. The Middleweight Division has never looked more wide open and Sheeraz is expected to be fighting for a World Title before the midway point of 2025.
If it was up to the Boxer himself, this would have been happening on this card, but the team have not been able to entice a World Champion into the ring. Even the rumoured fight with Chris Eubank Jr would be a huge Stadium seller, but that is another bout that has yet to materialise with the older man potentially a future Canelo Alvarez opponent.
Hamzah Sheeraz cannot allow frustration to get the better of him, but he looks a focused fighter looking to keep the momentum going after producing two big wins already in 2024. Beating up a veteran in Liam Williams was expected, but the performance in the win over Ammo Williams will have made headlines on both sides of the pond and Sheeraz looks capable of beating most in this Division.
Respect has to be given to Tyler Denny for overachieving- in recent times he has been upsetting the odds and he looks extremely confident.
And so he should being the European Middleweight Champion.
However, this feels a considerable step upwards in level of opponent and Denny is going to be dwarfed by the huge figure in front of him.
The power edge is with Hamzah Sheeraz and he can make another big statement to all of his rivals by finishing this one inside the first half of the scheduled Twelve Rounds.
MY PICKS: Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois, Either Fighter to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Mark Chamberlain to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.61 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Joshua Buatsi to Win By KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Anthony Cacace to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Boxing 2024: 25-45, + 8.41 Units (94 Units Staked, + 8.95% Yield)
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