By: Sean Crose
The biggest moment of Daniel Dubois’ career is coming this weekend and the heavyweight wants the world to know he is ready for it. “I feel good, confident,” he said at a lavish unveiling on the eve of this weekend’s IBF world title showdown with the only man in the world, Anthony Joshua. “I’m just relaxing and enjoying it all. Enjoying the energy, it’s great…. I’m going to feed that energy and build on it. I can’t wait for it. It’s my time. I’m ready for it.” While former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua may be the bigger draw this week, it’s clear Dubois feels the moment will prove to be his.
“You’ll see that this is my moment,” he said. “I’m the man. I need to go out there and legitimize it. I’m the champion… by any means necessary. Winning – that’s it.” Of course, Joshua and his team may have something to say about that. “My mentality is, if I draw a line and put fear on one side, and confidence on the other,” Joshua said, “but I still go into the ring – which side do I choose? I’m confident. I believe in myself, and I think that’s the right mentality to have.” Still, even a veteran like Joshua can be impressed by what’s going on around him. After all, Saudi Arabia’s sports authority Turki Alalshikh is the driving force behind this fight, and this ambitious promoter is literally changing the look and feel of the sport.
“100% I’ve never had a red carpet in my life,” Joshua said. “It’s a blessing. They’re doing big things. It’s great that we’re working together. I’ve been to Saudi, it’s great to be back home. It’s not a small thing, they’ve made it big. I’m fighting a Queensberry Promotions fighter as well, so it’s a new era for boxing – a golden era if you ask me. I hope the next generation can benefit from all of this. It’s not just for our generation.”
For Matchroom boss and Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn, Saturday is an event that lives up to the hype. “I rank as AJ’s number one fan,” he said. “He’s a friend, I know how hard he’s worked over the years. We’ve had our ups and downs, and to see him make history as a three-time Heavyweight Champion would be an incredible moment for him and one we’d be very proud of. We’re also aware of the challenge. I think most people believe AJ is the favourite for the fight but Daniel is a real underdog. He’s dangerous, he punches hard. It will be interesting to see how he copes with the occasion and the emotions of the night.”
