Daniel Dubois didn't have to dethrone anyone to become world heavyweight champion, so he has something to prove when he makes his first title defence in front of one of the biggest crowds in British boxing history.
If he successfully defends his IBF belt on Saturday by beating fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois could become boxing's next big star.
“I’m getting used to the idea that I’m the world champion, but I think I need to legitimize it by beating AJ,” Dubois told The Associated Press in an interview. “That’s how I do it and cement my name, cement my legacy in the sport of boxing.”
Dubois, 27, was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.
He knows that most boxing fans, especially British ones, want to see Joshua become a three-time champion to set up the highly anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.
But Dubois, a powerful boxer and South London native who has been boxing since he was seven, has his own plans.
“Make him tap out, destroy him, unleash hell on him,” Dubois said of his fight night strategy.
Nicknamed “Dynamite,” the 1.95-metre-tall Dubois has had to overcome obstacles on his way to Wembley.
Dubois is hoping to make Joshua, 34, tap out, but Dubois himself had to answer questions about the withdrawal after taking a knee and being counted out in the 10th round against Joe Joyce in November 2020. That was his first professional defeat.
Dubois' left eye was swollen shut, with a fractured orbital bone and nerve damage.
Last summer, he bounced back and won four straight fights to earn a title shot against Usyk. The fight was held in Poland, where many Ukrainians have sought refuge due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
With the huge support of his compatriots, Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round. Boxing is never far from controversy and this fight had its share: Dubois had knocked down the champion in the fifth round, but the referee ruled it a low blow and gave Usyk several minutes to recover.
'My moment now'
Dubois responded to the loss to Usyk with two knockout victories. Despite being comfortably ahead of Jarrell Miller (151kg), Dubois turned up the pressure in the final round and grabbed the win in the final seconds of the fight. Dubois made Filip Hrgovic bleed early on and stopped the Croatian in the eighth round.
The stunning win over Hrgovic in early June gave Dubois the “interim” title weeks before Usyk relinquished the belt. It also means 20 of his 21 wins have come by way of knockout. The only time he went on points was six years ago in his eighth pro fight.
In 2017, it was Joshua, then 27, who spectacularly knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in a title fight at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans.
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, signalling a rematch with Usyk as his next goal even though the Ukrainian has talked about returning to cruiserweight following his December 21 rematch with Tyson Fury.
He also wants to make his family proud. His father, Dave Dubois, raised 11 children in a household dominated by sports and music. Dubois says he doesn't play any instruments or sing. His younger sister, Caroline Dubois, is also a successful professional boxer.
Officially, it is the first time they will meet, but Dubois and Joshua had a much-debated sparring session about a decade ago. It seems clear that Dubois caught Joshua, who two years earlier had won gold for Great Britain at the London Olympics, with a good punch, but beyond that it is just rumour. Promoter Frank Warren has said that sparring session led to him signing Dubois.
“Sparring is sparring, this is a fight. It has no relevance for today,” Dubois said. “It was good for me at the time, but I’m a new man now, a new fighter. I’ve put it behind me. I’m the man of the future.”
He suspects that most of the crowd will be on AJ's side.
“They probably won't take me into account,” he said. “It's up to me to prove them wrong.”
