Anthony Crolla Reveals 'Surprising' Pick for Joshua-Dubois Clash: "Not What People Expect"

Anthony Crolla, a former World Lightweight Champion, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming boxing event at Wembley Stadium. The card features Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois for the IBF World Heavyweight Championship on September 21.

Crolla started by reflecting on the recent Olympics. He pointed out Kellie Harrington from Ireland as a standout fighter. For Great Britain, Lewis Richardson's bronze medal got a nod, especially since he went to the Games with little expectation.

Moving to the main event, Joshua will try to become a three-time world heavyweight champion against Dubois, who got upgraded from interim champion after Oleksandr Usyk left the title vacant. Dubois has been on a roll lately, putting up a good fight against Usyk and beating Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgović.

Joshua, on the other hand, has faced some criticism for his recent performances. His last fight against Robert Helenius ended with a highlight reel knockout, but fans wanted more. Before that, he fought Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou, an MMA fighter making his boxing debut.

Crolla thinks Joshua will win by stoppage, but he's not counting Dubois out. He said:

"I'm going for AJ to win by stoppage. That fantastic right hand of his will be the difference. But it's not a foregone conclusion."

On the undercard, Crolla sees Joshua Buatsi beating Willie Hutchinson late in the fight. For the European title bout, he's picking Hamzah Sheeraz to stop Tyler Denny late, thanks to Sheeraz's size advantage and constant improvement.

The Liam Smith vs Josh Kelly fight is a must-win for both guys. Crolla thinks Smith will pull it off:

"I'm going for Liam Smith by late stoppage. He can learn from his last fight and roll back the years."

In the IBF and IBO world title fight between Anthony Cacace and Josh Warrington, Crolla leans towards Cacace but admits it's a tough call:

"I'm going for Cacace, possibly by stoppage. He's the bigger man with power, but it's hard to call this one."

Crolla also noted some changes in both main event fighters. Dubois has gotten more comfortable in front of the camera, and people are starting to like him more. His team, Don Charles and Kieran Farrell, are doing a fantastic job.

As for Joshua, he's got a new trainer in Ben Davison. Crolla thinks AJ looks looser, more relaxed, and is showing good spite in his recent outings.

Anthony Crolla shared these insights as part of his role as a brand ambassador for Free Bets. With his experience as a former world champion, his predictions add an extra layer of excitement to an already packed fight card.