Daniel Dubois vs Kevin Johnson Preview Oct. 6th
Unbeaten British heavyweight hopeful Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois steps back into the ring this Saturday, October 6th in Leicester, England when he meets aging American veteran Kevin ‘Kingpin’ Johnson. The 10 round bout can be seen live in the U.S. on ESPN+. Johnson last fought in July when he dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to Andy Ruiz. Dubois last saw action in June when he stopped Tom Little in the fifth round to claim the vacant British Heavyweight Title.
Dubois vs Johnson Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Kevin Johnson +1600
- Daniel Dubois -5000
My Pick
The 39-year-old Johnson of Asbury Park, New Jersey climbs into the ring with a record of 32-10-1 along with 16 Kos. His other losses include being beaten by Tor Hamer in the final of the Prizefighter tournament in 2012 and then dropping a lacklustre 12-round decision to Tyson Fury later the same year. He’s also been beaten by Petar Milas, Christian Hammer, Dereck Chisora, Manuel Charr, Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev and Vitali Klitschko while fighting in Europe. In nine of Johnson’s 10 pro losses have been on the other side of the Atlantic.
Johnson’s been stopped only twice in his career though. Milas halted him in the eighth round in March and Joshua stopped him in the second round in May, 2015. It’s safe to say Johnson’s best days are behind him and he’s now used as a ‘name’ opponent. While Johnson is usually in decent physical shape he’s not always ready to fight and can go 12 rounds without throwing much leather at all. He’s a good defensive boxer, but needs to throw punches to win. The likeable and friendly Johnson has a pretty good chin despite the two knockout losses and that’s one of his strongest points.
Vitali Klitschko shut him out over 12 rounds in a title fight in 2009 as Johnson was worrying too much about defence. He didn’t learn his lesson though as he fought the same way against Fury in 2012 and lost by a wide decision. Johnson stands 6-feet-3-inches tall with an 82-inch reach and has plenty of experience with 274 rounds under his belt since turning pro in 2003. He needs to utilize his jab and keep Dubois at bay here because Johnson doesn’t have much in the way of power with a knockout percentage of just 37 per cent. Basically, Johnson needs to show up to fight not just to last the distance.
Johnson’s best wins have come over boxers such as Bruce Seldon, Devin Vargas, Alex Leapai, Solomon Haumono, Damian Willis and Francesco Pianeta. He’s usually been competitive when stepping up in class, but has either been stopped or come out on the wrong end of a decision. Since turning pro he’s won the IBO International, and IBF Australasian Heavyweight Titles. Johnson’s got the skills to made things awkward for the much younger Dubois, but his chin is definitely going to be tested. He has a four-inch reach advantage over the youngster, but is two inches shorter.
As for the 21-year-old Dubois of London, England, he’s more or less being groomed as the next Anthony Joshua. In fact, he reportedly dropped the world champion a couple of years ago during a sparring session. The comparisons are easy to see as Dubois stands 6-feet-5-inches tall with a 78-inch reach and has stopped all eight opponents up to now for a 100 per cent knockout ratio. He enjoyed a fine amateur career, losing just six of 75 bouts and winning gold medals at various tournaments. However, he didn’t fight in the Olympics as he decided to turn pro rather than wait for the 2020 Games.
Dubois has been brought along slowly since turning pro in April of last year. He has just 17 rounds of experience under his belt due to knocking everybody out. His opponents thus far have been Marcus Kelly (TKO-1), Blaise Mendouo (TKO-2), David Howe (KO-1), Mauricio Barragan (KO-2), AJ Carter (TKO-1), Dorian Darch (TKO-2), DL Jones (TKO-3) and Tom Little (TKO-5). This will be Dubois’ first fight against anybody with extended pro experience and Johnson is seen as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
Dubois usually tips the scales between 230 and 240 lbs and like his fellow countryman Joshua, his career has been based on his power. He can cause damage with either hand, but isn’t really the most mobile heavyweight in the ring. He has decent hand speed though and is determined to make a name for himself in the division. It’s hard to say how good his chin is at this point since it hasn’t been tested and it likely won’t be against Johnson on Saturday either.
Prediction…
This will be Dubois’ first decent test, but he’s facing a 39-year-old who lacks power. He’s expected to win, but Johnson’s boxing skills and defensive tactics could prove frustrating for the youngster. Joshua stopped Johnson in the second round in 2015 and Dubois may view this as challenge to see if he can stop him quicker. You never know what to expect with Johnson as some nights he looks unbeatable and other times he’s a shadow of himself, so it could be interesting. Either way, look for a Dubois victory.
Dubois should be too young and strong for the ageing Johnson.
Play: Dubois -5000 @ BetOnline.ag
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Daniel Dubois betting • Kevin Johnson betting