British boxer Daniel Dubois arrives on the Odeon Luxe Leicester Sq., London, Tuesday Sept.17, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA through AP)
LONDON — Daniel Dubois didn’t must dethrone anybody to turn out to be a world heavyweight champion. So he has one thing to show when he makes his first title protection earlier than one of many largest 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 simply rework himself into boxing’s subsequent massive factor.
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“I’m getting used to the concept I’m the world champion however I believe I have to legitimize it by beating AJ,” Dubois advised The Related Press in an interview. “That’s the best way I do it and cement my identify, cement my legacy within the sport of boxing.”
READ: Anthony Joshua to struggle Daniel Dubois for IBF heavyweight belt
The 27-year-old Dubois was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.
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He is aware of that the majority boxing followers — the British ones specifically — need to see Joshua turn out to be a three-time champion to arrange a long-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.
However the hard-punching Dubois — a south London native who has been boxing for the reason that age of seven — has plans of his personal.
FILE – Britain’s Daniel Dubois, left, and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk throughout their world heavyweight title struggle at Tarczynski Area in Wroclaw, Poland, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Picture/Czarek Sokolowski, file)
“Make him stop, break him down, unleash hell on him,” Dubois mentioned of his technique for struggle evening.
Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 6-foot-5 (1.95-meter) Dubois has had obstacles to beat on his path to Wembley.
He hopes to make the 34-year-old Joshua stop however Dubois himself needed to reply questions on quitting after he took a knee and was counted out within the tenth spherical towards Joe Joyce on November 2020. That was his first skilled loss.
READ: Anthony Joshua trying to ship ‘assertion’ win
Dubois’ left eye had been swollen shut — there was an orbital bone fracture and nerve injury.
He bounced again by profitable 4 straight bouts to earn a title shot at Usyk final summer season. The struggle was held in Poland, the place many Ukrainians have taken refuge due to Russia’s invasion of their nation.
With enormous help from his compatriots, Usyk stopped Dubois within the ninth spherical. Boxing isn’t removed from controversy and this struggle had its share: Dubois had dropped the champion within the fifth spherical however the referee dominated it a low blow and allowed Usyk a number of minutes to get well.
Since then, Dubois responded with two knockout victories. Regardless of being comfortably forward of 333-pound Jarrell Miller, Dubois piled on the strain within the last spherical, getting the stoppage within the last seconds of the bout. Dubois bloodied Filip Hrgovic early and stopped the Croatian within the eighth spherical.
The spectacular 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 through knockouts. The one time he went to factors was six years in the past in his eighth skilled struggle.
Again in 2017, it was then 27-year-old Joshua who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title struggle at Wembley in entrance of 90,000 followers.
Dubois says it’s his flip.
“That is my time now, and I’m able to take it with each palms, present the world what I’m all about,” he mentioned, pointing to a Usyk rematch as his subsequent objective despite the fact that the Ukrainian has talked about returning to cruiserweight after his Dec. 21 rematch with Tyson Fury.
He additionally needs to make his household proud. His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 youngsters in a family the place sports activities and music dominated. Dubois says he doesn’t play any devices or sing although. His youthful sister Caroline Dubois can also be a profitable professional boxer.
Formally, it’s the primary time they’ll sq. off however Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session a couple of decade in the past. It appears clear that Dubois caught Joshua — who two years earlier had received gold for Britain on the London Olympics — with a very good punch, however past that it’s simply rumors. Promoter Frank Warren has mentioned that sparring session led him to signal Dubois.
“Sparring is sparring, this can be a struggle. It bears no relevance to right now,” Dubois mentioned. “It was good for me on the time, however I’m a brand new man, a brand new fighter now. I’ve put that behind me. I’m the person of the longer term.”
He suspects a lot of the crowd — and maybe lots of these watching on DAZN’s streaming service — will probably be on AJ’s aspect.
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“They most likely will probably be overlooking me,” he mentioned. “It’s as much as me to show them improper.”
