After a career-best win last weekend, Daniel Dubois seems set for the opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua for a world title at Wembley Stadium in a few months’ time, where he will attempt to overcome the odds once again. Ahead of the all-British affair, Dubois’ trainer has shown no signs of fear, instead issuing a demand to the two-time world champion.
Dubois has often been criticised for lacking heart inside of the ring, famously taking a knee and sitting out the count when he suffered a first career defeat to Joe Joyce and then doing the same against Oleksandr Usyk almost three years later in his first challenge for a heavyweight world title.
However, since then Dubois has put an end to those accusations, biting down on his gumshield to grind out a final-round knockout win over Jarrell Miller in December.
On Saturday night, Dubois showed his grit once again, as he bounced back after being tagged countless times by Filip Hrgovic in the opening rounds and taking charge in rounds seven and eight before the doctor waived off the fight and granted Dubois a technical-knockout win and the IBF interim title.
As a result, Dubois is expected to take on Anthony Joshua for the full IBF world title at Wembley in September, once Oleksandr Usyk has been stripped of the belt.
Again, Dubois will go into the affair as a sizeable underdog, given Joshua’s status as a two-time world champion, but ‘Triple D’ would become a household name and a superstar on the world stage if he can put an end to Joshua’s resurgence since partnering up with Ben Davison.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Dubois’ trainer Don Charles ordered Joshua to step up to the plate and to ‘grow a pair’, hoping to accelerate the deal after Matchroom Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that there are alternative options on the table for ‘AJ’.
“I know the young man [Joshua] personally, under Ben Davison he has improved massively. We haven’t got any God-given right that we are going to beat him, nor has he. The public are entitled to their opinions of course but grow a pair and step up.”
“Daniel Dubois is the opponent [for Joshua on September 21st]. We were born ready.”
A press conference for the Anthony Joshua card in September is scheduled to take place on June 25th in London, as confirmed by newfound Saudi catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh.
As the announcement looms, there are growing suspicions that Chris Eubank Jr. will take on Hamzah Sheeraz in the highlight of the undercard, as Queensberry and Matchroom prepare to work together once again, marking a new era for British boxing.
Meanwhile, suspicions that arguable pound-for-pound number one Naoya Inoue could appear on the bill seem to be wide of the mark, as ‘The Monster’ is now being touted to headline in Japan against T.J. Doheny in a second defence of his undisputed super-bantamweight title.
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