Early on in his career there were tales of sparring with Anthony Joshua, where a young Dubois was rumoured to have been a handful for the former unified champion.
The 6"5 Greenwich native at that time might have envisaged a scenario of sharing the ring with Anthony Joshua on a grand stage.
Well, dreams can be actualized and come September 21, Daniel " Dynamite " Dubois makes the first defence of his IBF heavyweight title. And guess what, he fights Anthony Joshua, at no other place than Wembley Stadium; having been elevated to the status of champion after Oleksandr Usyk – previously the undisputed champion – vacated one of his four titles.
The Queensberry Promotions boxer debuted in April 2017 and never lost until he encountered Joe " The Juggernaut " Joyce in November 2020; suffering a broken eye socket.
Dubois' other loss was suffered at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk in August 2023. After that bout Usyk encouraged a disconsolate Dubois, " You're still young, my friend. You can dream," Usyk said.
Dubois had to churn out a career-best victory over Filip Hrgovic on June 1 to earn him the IBF’s interim title. It also earned him the highest-profile fight of his career – one against a former champion he admired and once sparred as a teen.
Dubois had to quickly wrap up a holiday in Brazil to return to London for Wednesday’s press conference, having previously learned that he had been awarded his first professional world title.
It was not the crowning moment the 26 year old and his father David had previously dreamed of, but he can secure a similar sensation if he defends it in September, aware that a potential fight with the winner of the rematch between Tyson Fury and Usyk was very likely.
“I would have wanted to win it in the ring and get the crowd involved but here we are,” he said.
“I wasn't really worried about Usyk retaining the title. I'm glad I've got it but I wasn't sweating over it. It’s a formality – if you keep winning you'll get these titles. For me the belts and all that are great but these fights themselves are like world-title fights.
“‘AJ’ doesn't need a belt to be the top draw – it’s all about how you perform in the ring in front of a crowd.
“I have just flown back from Brazil – a 12-hour flight back. I am shattered. It was a holiday – a little break but we were still training.
“It was planned before my last fight so I had to cut it short to get back for this. I saw the news this morning online – it’s all good positive vibes. I will thank Usyk with a rematch.”
Dubois sparred with Joshua who was then being handled by Rob McCracken at the Team GB facilities in Sheffield.
He regardless sees no more significance in what unfolded between them – if he once looked up to Joshua he was confrontational with him on Wednesday – than he did in what happened when he sparred Hrgovic or Nathan Gorman, another opponent he previously stopped.
“People have always mentioned sparring but I don’t because whenever someone mentions sparring about me, they get beaten up,” he said.
“It felt good being at Team GB. It felt like we were all one and the same – trying to do the same thing.
“I was there trying to get on the Olympic team and he was already on there pushing on. It was all good up there – sparring with the best and mixing it with them. I have nothing but good memories from my time with Team GB – I was young. Only 17. It was just a good path.
“I could see back then that he was a great champion but every great beginning has an end – and I am here to take the baton and the throne.
“I have to fight the man so sparring is not on my mind. Let’s talk about fighting now, not sparring.
"The spar happened years ago. I can barely remember it.
“Nathan Gorman talked about our sparring sessions and look what happened.
“People said that Joshua would be retired before I reached his level – he is still making big money and he is still here, so if I have to knock him off the perch I will do it.
“He has been through many wars and that will tell on him. But I am still going to prepare 100 per cent and be ready for a war.”
Promoter Frank Warren is absolutely convinced Dubois knocks out Joshua.
The All - British affair should be epic one a prominent feature on the Riyadh Season franchise.
By Samuel Opoku Amoah
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