'Daniel Dubois on my mind for a while' - Anthony Joshua has 'eyes peeled' on rival ahead of Wembley showdown
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Published 26/06/2024 at 17:59 GMT
Anthony Joshua told Daniel Dubois he had been on his mind for a while as the pair faced off at a press conference for their IBF title showdown at Wembley in September. The Wednesday presser in London saw both fighters sit calm and collected as they spoke ahead of the fight, live on TNT Sports Box Office, with Dubois saying he plans to "become the king slayer" on September 21.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 26: Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois face off during a Press Conference ahead of their Heavyweight contest at Wembley scheduled for 21 September 2024 on June 26, 2024 in London England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
Anthony Joshua made it clear he has had his eye on Daniel Dubois for some time ahead of their Wembley showdown in September.
Joshua and Dubois will collide on September 21 at Wembley Stadium, live in TNT Sports Box Office, for the IBF heavyweight title, after Oleksandr Usyk confirmed he was vacating the title.
Dubois was anointed the IBF interim heavyweight champion after stopping IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic in the eighth round of their fight in Riyadh at the beginning of June.
The two engaged in an intense face-off at a press conference on Wednesday where both exuded calmness and confidence in their words.
Joshua made Dubois aware that he had kept his eyes peeled for the 26-year-old but stressed his focus on arriving in peak condition, while Dubois was assertive that he will have the beating of Joshua come September.
"I picked Dubois to win [against Hrgovic]. I watch boxing closely and I picked him before," Joshua said.
"It came true and we’re here, so I’ve been having Dubois on my mind for a while, and he’ll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I get my hand raised."
Joshua has risen back up the heavyweight ranks after suffering consecutive losses to Usyk, who then became the undisputed world champion with a stunning victory over Tyson Fury last month.
Joshua's name had been in the mix with Deontay Wilder and Fury, who lost respectively to Zhilei Zhang and Usyk this year.
If Wilder had beaten Zhang then the American may have been in Dubois' shoes, but Joshua was clear he is not taking his opponent lightly.
"(Dubois) isn't like the way they mention Fury or Wilder, but I’m not silly either. I know the game, we’re all in the wild, we’re a pack of lions, we're hunters," the 34-year-old added.
"So I’ve got to keep my eyes peeled. I can’t just focus on those two and not worry about anyone else. I’ve always kept my eyes peeled on Daniel and the rest of the heavyweights as well."
Aged 34, the former unified world champion is a veteran compared to Dubois' tender age of 26, yet insisted he feels fresh at this stage of his career.
“I feel fresh. I feel good. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke... Thank god I didn’t get caught up in antics outside of boxing. I use boxing to keep me on the straight and narrow.
"For this fight here with Daniel, it doesn’t matter if I was 35, and he was 15, 20, 25, it doesn’t matter. We’re in peak condition, age is just a number in this one.”
Dubois, flanked by Frank Warren, sat metres away from Joshua as he previewed the fight in his own words.
"It feels different. I would have loved to win [the IBF belt] on the night in my last fight but here we are, I’m blessed, we keep going," Dubois said.
"I’m learning more about myself, a fighter, a person, coming through the darkness, going into the light and going into the future. I’m really up for this, I'm ready to go."
Since losing to Usyk last August, Dubois was seen as an underdog against Jarrell Miller and Hrgovic, both of whom he beat, picking up the IBF Interim strap against Hrgovic to set up his fight with Joshua.
Although he will be an underdog again in September, the heavyweight prospect is backing himself to dethrone Joshua.
"I’m aiming to be the best, to fight the best and beat the best," Dubois calmly added.
"AJ has been the king for a long time. We all know he's been the king for a very long time and on the night I need to become the king slayer. That’s the goal, the mission I have, so I'm just ready to go.
"I’m ready to let my fists do the talking. I’m 100% ready to go to camp, focused and to train like a beast."
The pair will headline a stacked card in September, featuring a lively undercard of Anthony Cacace v Josh Warrington, Joshua Buatsi v Willy Hutchinson, Tyler Denny v Hamzah Sheeraz, Josh Kelly v Liam Smith, and Mark Chamberlain v Josh Padley.
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