‘Unleash hell’: Champ out to spoil AJ’s Wembley moment

Daniel Dubois didn’t have to dethrone anyone to become a world champion.
And that’s why he has something to prove when he makes his first title defence before one of the biggest crowds in British boxing history.
If he successfully defends his IBF belt on Sunday morning (AEST) by beating fellow countrymen Anthony Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois might just transform himself into heavyweight boxing’s next big thing.
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“I’m getting used to the idea that I’m the world champion but I think I need to legitimise it by beating AJ,” Dubois told The Associated Press in an interview.
“That’s the way I do it and cement my name, cement my legacy in the sport of boxing.”
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois square off before their heavyweight title fight. Getty
The 27-year-old Dubois was awarded the belt in June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk relinquished it.
He knows that most boxing fans – the British ones in particular – want to see Joshua become a three-time champion to set up a long-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.
But the hard-punching Dubois – a south London native who has been boxing since the age of seven and has lost just two pro fights – has plans of his own.
“Make him quit, break him down, unleash hell on him,” he said of his strategy.
Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 195cm Dubois has had to overcome his fair share of obstacles en route to the main event at Wembley.
He hopes to make the 34-year-old Joshua quit, but Dubois himself had to answer questions about quitting after he took a knee and was counted out in the 10th round against Joe Joyce on November 2020, marking his first professional loss.
Dubois’ left eye had been swollen shut due to an orbital fracture and nerve damage.
Daniel Dubois goes down for the count against Joe Joyce. Getty
He bounced back by winning four-straight bouts to earn a title shot at Usyk last summer.
The fight was held in Poland, where many Ukrainians have taken refuge because of Russia’s invasion of their country, and Dubois was ultimately stopped in round nine.
Since then, Dubois has responded with knockout victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, putting him back near the top of the heavyweight division.
The impressive win over Hrgovic in early June gave Dubois the “interim” title weeks before Usyk relinquished the belt.
Back in 2017, it was then 27-year-old Joshua who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title fight at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans.
Anthony Joshua is a former world champion.  Getty
Dubois says it’s his turn.
“This is my time now, and I’m ready to take it with both hands, show the world what I’m all about,” he said, pointing to a Usyk rematch as his next goal.
He also wants to make his family proud.
His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 children in a household where sports and music dominated. Dubois says he doesn’t play any instruments or sing though.
His younger sister Caroline Dubois is also a successful pro boxer.
Officially, it’s the first time they’ll square off, but Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session about a decade ago. It seems clear that Dubois caught the Olympic gold medallist with a good punch, but beyond that it’s just rumors.
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Promoter Frank Warren has said that sparring session led him to sign Dubois.
“Sparring is sparring, this is a fight. It bears no relevance to today,” Dubois said.
“It was good for me at the time, but I’m a new man, a new fighter now. I’ve put that behind me. I’m the man of the future.”
He suspects most of the crowd and viewers worldwide will be on AJ’s side.
“They probably will be overlooking me,” he said.
“It’s up to me to prove them wrong.”