Daniel Dubois did not must dethrone anybody to turn out to be world heavyweight champion, so he has one thing to show when he makes his first title defence in entrance of one of many greatest crowds in British boxing historical past.
If he efficiently defends his IBF belt on Saturday by beating fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in entrance of 96,000 followers at Wembley Stadium, Dubois may turn out to be boxing’s subsequent large star.
“I’m getting used to the concept that I’m the world champion, however I believe I have to legitimize it by beating AJ,” Dubois instructed The Related Press in an interview. “That’s how I do it and cement my title, cement my legacy within the sport of boxing.”
Dubois, 27, was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.
He is aware of that the majority boxing followers, particularly British ones, wish to see Joshua turn out to be a three-time champion to arrange the extremely anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.
However Dubois, a strong boxer and South London native who has been boxing since he was seven, has his personal plans.
“Make him faucet out, take him down, unleash hell on him,” Dubois mentioned of his combat evening technique.
Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 1.95-metre-tall Dubois has needed to overcome obstacles on his approach to Wembley.
Dubois is hoping to make Joshua, 34, faucet out, however Dubois himself needed to reply questions in regards to the withdrawal after taking a knee and being counted out within the tenth spherical towards Joe Joyce in November 2020. That was his first skilled defeat.
Dubois’ left eye was swollen shut, and he had a fractured orbital bone and nerve harm.
Final summer season, he bounced again and received 4 straight fights to earn a title shot towards Usyk. The combat was held in Poland, the place many Ukrainians have sought refuge as a result of warfare between Russia and Ukraine.
With the large assist of his compatriots, Usyk stopped Dubois within the ninth spherical. Boxing is rarely removed from controversy and this combat had its share: Dubois had knocked down the champion within the fifth spherical, however the referee dominated it a low blow and gave Usyk a number of minutes to get well.
‘My second now’
Dubois responded to the loss to Usyk with two knockout victories. Regardless of being comfortably forward of Jarrell Miller (151kg), Dubois turned up the strain within the remaining spherical and grabbed the win within the remaining seconds of the combat. Dubois made Filip Hrgovic bleed early on and stopped the Croatian within the eighth spherical.
The beautiful win over Hrgovic in early June gave Dubois the “interim” title weeks earlier than Usyk relinquished the belt. It additionally means 20 of his 21 wins have come by means of knockout. The one time he went on factors was six years in the past in his eighth professional combat.
In 2017, it was Joshua, then 27, who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title combat at Wembley in entrance of 90,000 followers.
Dubois says it is his flip.
“That is my time now, and I am able to take it with each palms, present the world what I am all about,” he mentioned, signalling a rematch with Usyk as his subsequent aim although the Ukrainian has talked about returning to cruiserweight following his December 21 rematch with Tyson Fury.
He additionally desires to make his household proud. His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 youngsters in a family dominated by sports activities and music. Dubois says he does not play any devices or sing. His youthful sister, Caroline Dubois, can be a profitable skilled boxer.
Formally, it’s the first time they may meet, however Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session a few decade in the past. It appears clear that Dubois caught Joshua, who two years earlier had received gold for Nice Britain on the London Olympics, with a superb punch, however past that it’s simply hearsay. Promoter Frank Warren has mentioned that sparring session led to him signing Dubois.
“Sparring is sparring, it is a combat. It has no relevance to the current,” Dubois mentioned. “It was good for me on the time, however I’m a brand new man now, a brand new fighter. I’ve put it behind me. I’m the person of the longer term.”
He suspects that a lot of the crowd can be on AJ’s facet.
“They in all probability will not take me under consideration,” he mentioned. “It is as much as me to show them unsuitable.”