DANIEL DUBOIS has always had one dream. To be the heavyweight champion of the world. Thatโs what went through his mind when he first entered an amateur boxing club at only eight years old. Now 21, and an impressive 9-0 professional prospect, that dream still occupies his thoughts.
โSince I started. From the very first day I stepped in the gym โ heavyweight world championship. Words canโt really describe how it was. It was just a very great passion for me to be heavyweight world champion and thatโs my goal. [I was] really young. I was tall, skinny. Over the years obviously I worked at being heavyweight, what goes into me, everything thatโs gone into me Iโm really thankful for. Itโs been a journey,โ he told Boxing News. โItโs all of it really, the money, the glory, everything. Weโre all in the business to get paid. Itโs a business as well as a fight so the money, all of it, the whole package really.
โThat what the amateurs was for me, to get ready to become a pro. Thatโs how it is and thatโs how Iโve always thought about boxing and the sport I do.โ
It is a good time to be a heavyweight and Dubois hailed the attention the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have brought to the division. โThanks to Joshua, Fury, Wilder, big characters, big fighters, itโs caught the publicโs imagination. One day Iโll be up there as well,โ Dubois said. โSo many names flying around, weโre all just fighters at the end of the day so you never know. This is boxing, anything can happen.โ
The manner of Tyson Furyโs performance in his controversial draw with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder got the boxing world talking. How would Dubois approach a potential fight with Fury? โUntil I fight him I wonโt really know but basically put the pressure on him, use more skill, use my angles,โ he said. โIt was what it was. If I ever have to fight Fury Iโll know, Iโll prepare properly and Iโll be ready for it.โ
Dubois has sparred both Fury and the unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. โTheyโre different. I canโt really say whoโs better until I see them in the ring and fight each other. They bring different styles to the game, different dimensions. Itโll be interesting to see them finally get it on. I think thatโs what a lot of fans want to see,โ he said. โ[Joshua] boxes, heโs a technical fighter. Heโs still developing I think. Decent footwork, not great at anything in particular but decent enough to cause anyone trouble. Heโs big, heโs a unit of man. There you go.
โThey can fight whoever they want to fight, all of them. Theyโre the top men in the game. Right now I just want to get to the top and fulfil my potential and be the best.โ
Dubois’ most recent fight saw him go 10 rounds with former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. โIt was good. It showed me what I need to do to get these guys out of there. How much fitter Iโve got to be, how much more on it Iโve got to be, how much more determined Iโve got to be to knock these guys over, or pick my punches better. Itโs a great learning curve for me,โ he said.
On March 8 Dubois will box at the Royal Albert Hall when promoter Frank Warren brings professional boxing back to the august venue. Daniel will take on Razvan Cojanu, who went the distance with Joseph Parker in 2017 when he challenged for the WBO heavyweight title. Dubois however isnโt planning for Cojanu to reach the final bell. โI definitely feel like I can get this guy out of there quicker. Just put my punches together, use my boxing and make the magic happen. Get into my zone and wipe him out,โ he said cheerfully.