“I will get my revenge”, insists IBF world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois as he sat down to discuss his big fight, what makes him tick, and how, despite his new sponsor in Brooks Running, he may be less than keen on the three runs a week expected of him in camp.
This exceptionally frank conversation Daniel shared, six weeks out from the biggest fight of his career to date, took place at the stunning Farm Gym where he trains under the tutelage of Don Charles. Just over the champ’s shoulder, the iconic Wembley arches can be seen in the distance, the hunting ground in which he hopes to exact his revenge on Oleksandr Usyk on July 19.
“It’s pretty special, thinking about that, seeing Wembley out there every day,” Dubois says.
“That’s what it’s about. Getting my revenge and proving everyone wrong. To show everyone who says I can’t do it, and shut them up”
The IBF champion carries himself with a real air of confidence, without even a hint of arrogance or over-confidence. Perhaps self-assurance is a better term for what ‘Dynamite’ now has, following a statement knockout win over Anthony Joshua last year.
In fact, there was a strong sense of calm among everyone present in the camp, from his talented younger brother Solomon, through to Don Charles and the various members of his fitness team. The latter of which suggested Dubois is in not only the best shape of his career, but of any athlete they’ve worked with.
“I can’t wait,” Dubois says. “My whole career has been building all this moment, so it’s massive for me. I want to go down in history, win all the belts and then that’ll be boxing completed.”
It’s evident from the work being put in by Team Dubois that they are all too aware, from the last meeting, what Usyk is about in the ring. From pad men with a similar build and movement pattern to the Ukrainian, as opposed to a 130kg Don Charles, and the capacity to complete over 18 rounds of work, it’s clear that no stone is being left unturned.
“Results will speak for themselves,” he says. “When people see me in the ring, they will know the training I’ve been doing. It’s gradual. Just grafting away every day.”
It’s often said that a fight cannot be won, but certainly can be lost on the journey from dressing room to ring. And against ‘AJ’, Dubois made his way to the ring first despite holding the title at the time, and did so with the same aforementioned air of confidence he still carries.
“Honestly, I can’t explain it,” he recalls. “I was just locked in from the moment we left the house to go to the arena. We had a little gathering of people there, and that was it, everything was right. It was good energy, good vibes. And we just brought that to the ring, did what I came to do and left, simple as that.”
“Simple as that”, he says. And it certainly appeared to be that simple on the night.
The opportunity to speak to the champion so close to his fight was one offered due to his new partnership mentioned with Brooks, kitting his team and most happily, his brother, in fresh trainers to look the part. And with this, it felt important to get an understanding of the sort of work that goes into crafting a heavyweight athlete.
“As a fighter, you can’t miss out on your road work,” the IBF champion says. “All the great fighters do it. We’ve all seen movies like Rocky. They all do their road work. So it’s very important. You have to do your road work at least three times a week”
This clear statement was followed by a more ambiguous “they say,” which had more than just a hint of a suggestion that perhaps Daniel himself does not adhere to these rules. He insisted, however, that if his opponent was within earshot of the conversation, it was in fact twice a day, five days a week, that the heavyweight hits the roads.
There was a recurring theme that kept being mentioned throughout my time with the 27-year-old, “my dad”.
Whether it was self-belief, possibilities, expectations, or inspiration, all roads seemed to lead one way or another back to the ever-strong father figure that taught both Daniel and his equally successful siblings, WBC champion Caroline, Prince and Solomon.
“My dad. He got us started training before I learned about the skill of boxing. My dad was always in the gym, so I was in there with him, and he got me doing a lot of the groundwork. It was a really magical time for me, to be honest.
“It’s a family affair all the way through, you know, everything that started from my dad and his vision, we carried on. He gave it to us, and we’ve been able to take it further. (For him) I want to go do the business on the 19th and walk away with all the belts.”
