Daniel Dubois' trainer identifies key weakness that they will look to rectify to 'beat up' Anthony Joshua in fight

27/06/2024 12:55

Daniel Dubois’ trainer has insisted he will need to absorb fewer punches than in his last fight if he is to beat Anthony Joshua.

Dubois has been crowned IBF heavyweight champion without throwing a punch, and he will put the belt on the line in an all-British clash with Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21.

The Briton stopped Filip Hrgovic in a brutal war last time out in June to claim the IBF’s ‘interim’ belt and he reaped the benefits when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt meaning he was upgraded.

It is a huge challenge against AJ, and his coach Don Charles is planning to make defensive tweaks to prevent Dubois from sustaining as much damage.

He said on talkSPORT Breakfast: “We have a lot of work to do.

“The defence, everyone has latched on to that and him getting with right hands. Yes we can see that and we are trying to improve.

“They say ‘he will get knocked out by AJ’ because he is leaking right hands. But in boxing when you throw a right hand, you are also in danger of being hit with one yourself.

“If they are foolish enough to bank on that, they have something else coming.

“We aren’t ignorant we are going to work on it. He took far too many against Hrgovic.

“That wasn’t the plan, but we will rectify that in the Joshua fight and we are not going to this time.”

Joshua will pose a significant threat to Dubois’ newly crowned title, given his recent scintillating form.

The former Olympian looks back to his best, and has picked up two statement wins over Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin since linking up with new coach Ben Davison.

Despite AJ’s form, Dubois will be confident his own experiences of fighting the likes of Usyk, Joe Joyce and Hrgovic will be enough to carry him to glory.

‘Dynamite’ will go into the clash as underdog, but will be fired up to beat his rival after fiery exchanges at their launch press conference.

His mentor Charles believes Dubois does possess the tools to inflict a shock upset on the night.

“First he was being accused of being a quitter and I hope his recent fights have proved he is from that.

“We have now proved that we can take a punch, that box is ticked.

“When we go and beat up Anthony Joshua, what are they going to say next?

“This gives us fuel and especially Daniel to prove the critics wrong and deliver the win.”