Queensberry promoter Frank Warren hasn`t forgotten the widely discussed 2016 sparring session between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
Accounts vary, but the story goes that Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) was hurt – rocked, dropped, or even stopped – by the 18-year-old Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) during a session at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Regardless of the exact details, these whispers were compelling enough for Warren to take a chance on the promising, though still largely unproven, young heavyweight.
At the time, it wasn`t just a long shot based on a single rumor; the buzz around the young Dubois was practically deafening.
Equally compelling was the notion that a raw novice, barely an adult, had significantly troubled the then world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua.
In any case, Warren had heard and seen enough to recognize Dubois as a worthwhile investment.
However, as Dubois prepares for a potential undisputed showdown with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, a remarkably different version of the IBF champion – once seen as timid – has emerged.
Crucially, his mindset has significantly improved, placing him in a much stronger position than before his first fight against Usyk in 2023.
While `Dynamite` was stopped in the ninth round by the formidable Ukrainian in their first meeting, he is now aiming for a drastically different result when they potentially meet again at Wembley Stadium, London, on July 19.
Regarding the 27-year-old`s shift in mentality, his long-time promoter, Frank Warren, admits he`s been somewhat surprised.
“Without being disrespectful, he wasn’t very mature, mentally, but he was only a kid,” Warren said, reflecting on their first meeting.
“As much as he’s a boxer, he came from a pretty sheltered background. But he’s a beast – he can hurt you.”
“I’ve seen the sparring that he’s had with people; everyone knows about the sparring he had with ‘AJ’ in the early days.”
“I believe what I’ve been told. But the fact is that we put our money up, put our belief in him, put all of our energy behind him, and made sure that he got the opportunities.”
“He’s had a few hiccups along the way, but he’s done what he had to do. He can take the fight out of you with just one punch.”
