Daniel Dubois: Revealing moments from the past

The career of Daniel Dubois can be compared to Anthony Joshua’s in several ways: the vaunted fight-ending power; the suggestion of questionable punch resistance and stamina; the humbling defeats; the regular switching of training teams; the rebirths.

Yet Dubois’ journey, at least at the highest level, would seem to be just getting started – only since he defeated Filip Hrgovic six months ago could he boast victory over a genuine Top 10 contender. Therefore, when attempting to identify revealing moments, it’s a far easier task with Dubois’ opponent than it is with him – Joshua, after all, has been operating at world class level for almost a decade. 

Even so, there are clues to uncover and signposts to follow when it comes to Dubois’ progress thus far. And the good news, if trying to build a case for him to beat Joshua, is that many of the questions we had about Dubois in the recent past have been answered. Or at least they have for now. Though the resurgence of “DD” in the last 12 months has been enormously impressive, one should be careful not to draw too many conclusions, or at least emphatic ones, from his current form. 

Therefore, the (potential) bad news is this is an assignment against a heavyweight who has consistently performed at the highest level; something that can’t be said for Dubois’ two most recent opponents, Jarrell Miller and Hrgovic, or even Dubois himself.

Labouring past Kevin Johnson

There are benefits to being a hyped heavyweight prospect which are largely centred around the opportunities presented by such a status. There are downsides, too. Whereas certain young starlets might find it difficult to get the chances they feel their talent deserves, at least they learn to fly away from the glare of the limelight. Those who are signed to a major TV promoter – particularly young and hard-hitting heavyweights – generally develop in the public eye and thus any mistakes or sideways steps are roundly criticised. Dubois experienced such a thing in November 2018 when matched with Kevin Johnson, the former contender who realized he could make a much better living from guarding the gate; his USP became making an early assessment on his opponents and, if achieving victory would take too much effort, he would make sure he at least heard the final bell. Consequently, very few got through the gate while looking great. 

When faced with the spoiling and unwilling Johnson, Dubois appeared limited, he neglected the body, his jab clearly needed some work. He was, in short, still crude and raw. Worse, Joshua had walked through Johnson in two rounds some three years before.

Dubois shouldn’t be criticized for going 10 against seasoned opposition, however. Learning is what fights against the likes of Johnson are designed for. Yet it’s included here to illustrate that though Dubois was once a promising amateur, his experience at that level was comparatively limited. He was not the blue-eyed boy like Joshua had been in the vest and Dubois was still learning the fundamentals while punching for pay. 

A reminder, then, of how far he’s come and how far he may still need to go.

Capitulation against Joe Joyce

A fight that should act as a warning about how cruel the sport can be. And it’s not just the hurt inside the ring, of which Dubois absorbed plenty against a peak Joe Joyce, but also the sniping, relentless bullying-cum-criticism a defeat like this can attract.

Dubois could likely have continued in the 10th round when he dropped to one knee, with his left eye swollen shut, and opted to rise only when the referee called ‘10’ above him. But the pain this young man felt, coupled with a sense of discombobulation and helplessness, can only be truly known by the young man himself. 

In the eyes of many bloodthirsty fans and, worse, fellow fighters, Dubois ‘quit’. Long before Dubois’ injury was confirmed as a fractured eye socket – and don’t pretend to know what that feels like – ringside analysts like Carl Frampton and David Haye were saying they’d rather ‘go out on a stretcher’ than surrender. It’s unlikely they’d rather do that because what they’re implying, when they say things like that, is they would rather die – leaving behind their children to grieve and grow up without them – than stop taking punches to the face. But that’s what boxers say, and I don’t doubt it’s what they’ve been conditioned to believe.

Whatever the truth of the matter, in November 2020, Dubois was labelled a coward by those he respected the most. 

Trouble early against Kevin Lerena

In what was beforehand deemed a straightforward defence of Dubois’ bogus WBA strap turned into near disaster in the opening moments. A blow from the underdog caught Dubois on the top of the head as he came in, momentarily wobbling him. Yet when that wobble became a tumble, and Dubois was taking a count, it was clear that something was wrong.

The wobble had caused his knee to buckle, and though the Londoner beat the count, he was having a hard time standing. Some observers understandably assumed that Dubois had been clumped dizzy but as he fell twice more it became apparent that the wobble, and then the buckle, had caused an injury. 

Dubois complained about the problem while on the stool but nonetheless came out for the second and by the end of the third he’d won by knockout. It did not come without controversy, however: the bell to end the first round came 10 seconds early, the WBA’s three-knockdown rule was not in effect in Britain, and when Dubois applied the finishing touches to his comeback victory it appeared as if the bell to end the third had already rung. Even so, two years after the loss to Joyce, Dubois proved he could emerge victorious from a crisis. 

Oleksandr Usyk breaks his heart

The revealing moment here is twofold and does not warrant yet another debate about whether the blow that felled Usyk in round five was legal or not. Please, let’s not waste our time starting an argument that nobody can win – life is far too short for any of that.

The first point worth considering is the amount of respect that Usyk, after tasting an early blow from the challenger, afforded Dubois. In fact, before that headline-making fall in the fifth, Usyk boxed exceptionally patiently and carefully, more so than he had against Anthony Joshua and more than he would against Tyson Fury. In addition, whether low or not, the blow that put him on his backside in the fifth clearly hurt. And Usyk being ‘clearly hurt’ is rare indeed.

The second is how much Dubois then struggled to compose himself after the incident. Upon rising, and after being in discomfort, it was Usyk and not Dubois pressing the action. It was Usyk and not Dubois who then found the contest much easier to navigate. And it was Usyk and not Dubois who scored the knockdowns to win the fight.

It is of course important to reference that this is Usyk we’re talking about, a modern-day fighting genius. But the sense that Dubois had let him off the hook, perhaps after being given too much time in his own head, was hard to shake.

All steam ahead vs Filip Hrgovic

Fighters – like the rest of humankind – should not be judged on the inevitable mistakes they make but how they react to them. Though Dubois’ victory over Jarrell Miller was an exceptionally impressive response to being humbled by Usyk, and proved his stamina at a certain level, it’s what the Briton then did to Hrgovic that is worthy of the highest praise.  

Though under the cosh in the early going, there was not a solitary hint that Dubois was going to yield like he had in the past. There were no concerns about self-preservation nor any hint of self-doubt as he walked through a storm of right hands. Never had Dubois looked so incredibly bullet-proof under fire nor so dangerous when on the attack.

This should be both a concern and source of inspiration for Saturday night’s opponent. Joshua is at his best when his rivals come at him and open themselves up to be countered by his bombastic right hand. However, he’s at his worst when it becomes clear he’s going to need more than his trusty one-two to win.

Which in turn presents Dubois with the most difficult of choices to make: Does he do what’s worked so well for him recently and in turn offer Joshua his most direct route to victory or does he apply the kind of care and attention that risks compromising what he himself does best?