Daniel Dubois is not holding back ahead of his IBF heavyweight world title fight against Anthony Joshua on September 21 at Wembley Stadium. The 26-year-old Londoner is determined to “slay the king” and “make a fool” of Joshua, asserting his intent to dominate the bout and silence his critics.
With Oleksandr Usyk vacating the IBF title to prepare for a rematch with Tyson Fury, Dubois was promoted from interim champion to the official titleholder. Now, he’s set to defend his newly acquired belt against Joshua, a former two-time unified champion who has long been a leading figure in British boxing.
In a video released by promoter Queensberry on their YouTube channel, Dubois expressed his unwavering confidence. “I’m not here to talk foolishness,” Dubois said. “But I want to make a fool out of AJ by knocking him out and put all the doubters and the critics to sleep.”
Dubois, who views this fight as a significant step up from his previous bout against Usyk, is keenly aware of the stakes. “This is definitely bigger than the Usyk fight,” he asserted. “This is definitely the lion’s den, this one.”
He further elaborated, “Topping a bill with a major elite fighter, a guy that’s been up there for a long time, now I feel like it’s the right time to knock him off that pedestal and take the front.” Dubois regards Joshua as a long-standing leader in British heavyweight boxing and sees this fight as his opportunity to dethrone him.
In the past, Dubois had claimed that he floored Joshua during a sparring session when Joshua was an up-and-coming professional. Although Joshua has denied the extent of Dubois’ claims, he admitted that Dubois had “cracked” him. Despite this, Dubois believes he has evolved significantly since then.
“I’m a different guy now,” Dubois stated. “Harder punching and stronger will and that’s what this fight is going to come down to, the spirit and the will of each fighter.”
Dubois’s recent performance against Filip Hrgovic, where he secured a TKO victory to become the IBF interim champion, showcased his resilience and ability to overcome adversity. Despite taking heavy blows, Dubois grew into the fight and ultimately prevailed after cuts above Hrgovic’s eyes ended the contest.
Comparing Joshua to Hrgovic, Dubois questioned Joshua’s ability to handle similar punishment. “I won’t take them shots,” he promised. “Hrgovic is completely different to AJ. The way he throws his shots, it’s smooth, he’s light and he’s quick. So it took me a while to get the hang of it.”
Dubois is determined to bring his best to the fight. “Break Joshua, break what’s in front of me down and get a victory by any means necessary,” he declared. “Could he take them shots Hrgovic was throwing?”
With the bout fast approaching, Dubois is clearly focused on making a statement and establishing himself as the top heavyweight in the division.
Published by Alec McQuarrie on behalf of TNT Sports: https://www.tntsports.co.uk/boxing/daniel-dubois-slay-king-make-fool-anthony-joshua-ibf-world-heavyweight-title-fight_sto20027386/story.shtml
