EXCLUSIVE Daniel Dubois on Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Daniel Dubois vs Nathan Gorman

DANIEL DUBOIS has always had one dream. To be the heavyweight champion of the world. Thatโ€™s 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.

โ€œSince I started. From the very first day I stepped in the gym โ€“ heavyweight world championship. Words canโ€™t really describe how it was. It was just a very great passion for me to be heavyweight world champion and thatโ€™s my goal. [I was] really young. I was tall, skinny. Over the years obviously I worked at being heavyweight, what goes into me, everything thatโ€™s gone into me Iโ€™m really thankful for. Itโ€™s been a journey,โ€ he told Boxing News. โ€œItโ€™s all of it really, the money, the glory, everything. Weโ€™re all in the business to get paid. Itโ€™s a business as well as a fight so the money, all of it, the whole package really.

โ€œThat what the amateurs was for me, to get ready to become a pro. Thatโ€™s how it is and thatโ€™s how Iโ€™ve 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. โ€œThanks to Joshua, Fury, Wilder, big characters, big fighters, itโ€™s caught the publicโ€™s imagination. One day Iโ€™ll be up there as well,โ€ Dubois said. โ€œSo many names flying around, weโ€™re all just fighters at the end of the day so you never know. This is boxing, anything can happen.โ€

The manner of Tyson Furyโ€™s 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? โ€œUntil I fight him I wonโ€™t really know but basically put the pressure on him, use more skill, use my angles,โ€ he said. โ€œIt was what it was. If I ever have to fight Fury Iโ€™ll know, Iโ€™ll prepare properly and Iโ€™ll be ready for it.โ€

Dubois has sparred both Fury and the unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. โ€œTheyโ€™re different. I canโ€™t really say whoโ€™s better until I see them in the ring and fight each other. They bring different styles to the game, different dimensions. Itโ€™ll be interesting to see them finally get it on. I think thatโ€™s what a lot of fans want to see,โ€ he said. โ€œ[Joshua] boxes, heโ€™s a technical fighter. Heโ€™s still developing I think. Decent footwork, not great at anything in particular but decent enough to cause anyone trouble. Heโ€™s big, heโ€™s a unit of man. There you go.

โ€œThey can fight whoever they want to fight, all of them. Theyโ€™re 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€

daniel dubois

Dubois’ most recent fight saw him go 10 rounds with former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. โ€œIt was good. It showed me what I need to do to get these guys out of there. How much fitter Iโ€™ve got to be, how much more on it Iโ€™ve got to be, how much more determined Iโ€™ve got to be to knock these guys over, or pick my punches better. Itโ€™s 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 isnโ€™t planning for Cojanu to reach the final bell. โ€œI 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.

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