YOU will fight Daniel Dubois for the British heavyweight title (July 13 at the O2) but were you afraid youโd miss out on this fight?
I did yeah, youโve just hit the nail on the head there. When the Board mandated it [Daniel Dubois versus Joe Joyce], I thought f****** hell Iโm going to miss out on this fight here. Because to be fair there are some cracking fights to be made between the three of us.
If I was in Joeโs position, I would do the same thing. Which leaves obviously the British title in limbo so I happily obliged.
Do you feel Danielโs been getting the favoured treatment?
100%. Heโs been the golden goose since day one. Heโs had everything his way. But the fightโs here now. Once I beat him, Iโm the number one. Iโve just got to focus on July 13.
What do you make of him as a fighter?
He hasnโt had it tough at all. He reckons Iโm doing to be his easiest fight to date. Heโs lying to himself. Iโm not going to be his easiest fight. Itโs like me saying heโd be my easiest fight to date. Thatโs just bull****. Weโre both hungry competitive fighters who have the desire to win.
It makes for an exciting British showdown and a good clash of styles. Him the power puncher, me the boxer with the sharp combinations etc. As a fan, if I was watching it, Iโd be licking my lips at this one.
What weaknesses do you see in him?
I donโt think heโs all together there mentally. I really donโt think he is. Has he had the 12 round gruellers yet? He hasnโt really, has he? Heโs chinned them all virtually, apart from Kevin Johnson but to be fair no one chins Kevin Johnson. So thereโs a lot of weaknesses I see there, a lot of flaws. Heโs quite ponderous and slow. He puts himself in a lot of danger, heโs never fought the opposition what can capitalise on that yet, until he fights me.
I know heโs going to come at me like a bull in a china shop. Which I want him to because Iโm going to do the same. Iโm going to meet him in the middle and weโre going to throw bombs.
Do you think he gets nervous ahead of fights?
Probably. He looks like an anxious person to me. To me a fightโs a fight. I donโt care if itโs in front of 100,000 or my mum and dad. It is what it is. Youโve just got to knuckle down and get on with it.
He looks very anxious to me.
Can you describe your strengths as a boxer?
My mental side is very strong. Iโm a very relaxed character. Nothing really puts me off guard. I take everything in my stride. Iโm a very good listener. Whatever Ricky [Hatton, his trainer] says, if he says jump Iโll say how high. Thatโs the way Iโm mentally programmed. Thereโs a lot of things, my speed, my footwork, my boxing brain.
Daniel looks the part, heโs big, heโs powerful.
Heโs big, heโs powerful. Heโs got a six pack, I havenโtโฆ But looks can be deceiving. Listen, itโs not a body building competition, is it? Weโre not going to win a trophy for whoโs got the best muscles. Weโre in there to fight and do some damage.
What do you think of the comments that have been made about Andy Ruiz against Anthony Joshua?
The minute he takes his shirt off, a lot of people are going to give him no respect or no credit. Youโve got to remember heโs a guy whoโs fought for a world title and in my opinion heโs very fast, heโs very sharp, heโs an inside fighter and he can cause Joshua a lot of problems. If Joshua hits him, obviously itโs game over.
This [fight with Dubois however] is in my opinion 70/30 on my behalf. The only chance he has of beating me is if I switch off. I have every other area covered.
What were your spars with him like?
I can remember on the GB team, we would spar Monday all the way up to Thursday and weโd spar eight rounds every time. We done that for two to three years. Work it out weโve down two to three hundred rounds. It was very competitive, we wanted to hurt each other. We werenโt best mates, even in the flats werenโt best mates, we just wanted to do harm to each other. We really did and I felt there was no round I dropped.