Joshua knows both fighters well. He beat Parker in 2018 to win the WBO title. More recently, Dubois knocked Joshua out in the fifth round of their September 2023 bout, putting AJ down four times.
Parker's on a roll lately. The former WBO champ from New Zealand has won his last five fights. He's beaten some big names too, like Deontay Wilder and Zhilei 'Big Bang' Zhang. Andy Lee trains Parker now, and it seems to be working out great. Parker's last loss was to Joe Joyce back in September 2022.
Dubois, nicknamed "Dynamite," got the IBF title in an interesting way. He won the interim belt by beating Filip Hrgovic in June 2023. Then, when Oleksandr Usyk gave up the full title, Dubois got bumped up to full champ. He's been doing well lately, with big wins over Joshua, Hrgovic, and Jarrell Miller in the last year and a half.
Joshua's not the only one picking Parker. Tyson Fury also thinks his friend and training partner will come out on top.
"Joseph Parker's going to win," Joshua said in a video posted on social media.
Joshua's prediction might surprise some people. After all, Dubois beat him pretty badly just a few months ago. But AJ seems to think Parker's recent form and experience will give him the edge.
The fight's set for February 22. We'll have to wait and see if Joshua's prediction comes true.