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‘Still Has Demons: Heavyweight Rival Says Daniel Dubois ‘Still Has Demons’: “He Could Be A Deer In The Headlights”

Daniel Dubois is now a heavyweight world champion after being elevated by the IBF when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

The 26-year-old Brit has previously faltered when he stepped up in competition, first against Joe Joyce for the British title and then again against Usyk in his sole world title fight.

Whilst Dubois had a seriously damaged eye in the Joyce fight leading him to take a knee, most consider smartly, he seemed to stay down against the Ukrainian when he looked like he could perhaps carry on.

That loss in particular – in which Dubois had knocked Usyk down but it was ruled to be a low blow – had people questioning his will to fight on.

Despite now having scored two gritty stoppage wins over previously-undefeated Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, Derek Chisora told Box Nation Dubois still ‘has demons.’

“He’s got demons Daniel. Yeah, I think he’s still got demons. Demons never go away when you have them … Them demons might come back, who knows? In Poland [against Usyk] I was very disappointed cause it was there for him to grab, he didn’t grab it.

Chisora used another example – an undercard bout against Kevin Lerena at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where Dubois was knocked down three times in the first round by the big underdog. He would recover and win by stoppage in the third.

READ MORE : If he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again, Anthony Joshua could hand Tyson Fury…..

‘Del Boy’ believes there’s a real chance that the young champion freezes under pressure when he defends his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.Anthony joshua

“Daniel might come out looking like a deer in the headlights, bro. It’s no joke … AJ’s boxed in front of that crowd so many times and he turns up for that crowd. This is the first time Daniel’s fighting in front of proper hardcore English fans, thousands and thousands of them. Last time he did that was at Tottenham, and that nearly went wrong as well.”

Joshua vs Fury: Andy Ruiz Jr Makes Emphatic Prediction For Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury Fight

There are few heavyweights more qualified to discuss, predict and breakdown Anthony Joshua fights than Andy Ruiz Jr.

The Mexican-American shocked the world in 2019, surviving a knockdown to stop the Brit in seven rounds. Ruiz held the WBO, WBA and IBF belts for just six months before the rematch, where he came in ill-prepared against a dialed-in ‘AJ’ who won over the distance.

Speaking to Manouk Akopyan , the 31-year-old expressed his interest in the rubber match.

“God willing I get that trilogy. I’m humble enough to say I’ve got to climb up the ladder to get those fights and win and God willing they happen.”

READ MORE : After public row” Anthony Joshua sends brutal Message Card to….

Unfortunately for Ruiz, Joshua has a few fights higher on his list than that trilogy. First up is a chance at becoming a three-weight world champion against newly-elevated IBF titlist Daniel Dubois. Should he win, another all-British clash against Tyson Fury – especially should he avenge his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in their December rematch – is one of the biggest bouts in the sport.

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If it happens, Ruiz is backing his former foe to get the win based on his power.

“I think Joshua will win because he hits hard. He’s the hardest puncher I faced. Chris Arreola put me down but Joshua hits really hard. It’s the punches you don’t see coming that hurt, the ones you see coming at least you can absorb it.”

“They are not mate” Dubois can’t handle Joshua power – Eddie Hearn says

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes that Daniel Dubois won’t be able to compete with the former champion’s punching prowess when their pair step in the ring against each other.

The two will go head-to-head at Wembley in September as Dubois defends his IBF heavyweight title against Joshua.

It’s already a highly-charged encounter, with the pair having to be separated during the press conference to announce the fight, but Hearn says that although Dubois is a big hitter, Joshua will outgun the champion.

“Both are going to be letting their hands go,” he told BoxingScene.

RELATED : If he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again, Anthony Joshua could hand Tyson Fury…..

“Both are very dangerous. Some people call it a ‘shootout’. But I think AJ’s top sniper. He’s too accurate; he’s too good; and I think if you’re going to get hit against Anthony Joshua you’re going to have serious problems, and AJ’s not gonna stand in front of him like Filip Hrgovic and just ship shots.

“It’s two very dangerous heavyweight punchers, who are in the form and confidence of their career. For Dubois, the Miller and the Hrgovic fight have taken him to the most dangerous point of his career so far. It’s not a good time to fight Dubois, and it’s definitely not a good time to fight AJ. The key points for me are two massive punchers in their absolute primes.”

Two Year Doping Ban: Top Heavyweight Who Fought Anthony Joshua And Deontay Wilder Gets Two Year Doping Ban

In recent times, Anthony Joshua has been scheduled to fight or has faced three opponents who have tested positive for banned substances.

First was that of Jarrell Miller in 2019, who was set up to welcome Joshua to the US. He tested positive for various substances and was subsequently replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr, the man who handed the Brit his first loss.

Miller was banned for the offence for six months before testing positive again and being suspended for two years. He returns to the ring to face Ruiz himself on August 3.

Joshua was working on a comeback last year following two losses to now-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, and part of those plans was a rematch with Dillian Whyte.

The heavyweight rivals had previously fought for the British title back in 2015, but Whyte tested positive for a banned substance and was immediately pulled from the second fight. An investigation later concluded this was due to a contaminated supplement. 

READ MORE : After public row” Anthony Joshua sends brutal Message Card to….

Joshua would knock out late-replacement Robert Helenius in seven rounds. The Finnish fighter tested positive in a UK Anti-Doping Agency post-fight test.

In a statement released by UKAD, it has been confirmed just under a year later that Helenius will serve a two-year ban despite claiming ‘eggs and chicken meat’ were to blame for the presence of Clomiphene – a defence familiar to British boxing fans from the Conor Benn case for the same substance, which remains ongoing.

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“Mr Helenius stated that the clomifene detected in his urine Sample must have originated from his consumption of eggs and chicken meat. However, following a request by UKAD, Mr Helenius was unable to provide any evidence that the eggs and chicken meat he had consumed in advance of the bout originated from hens that had been administered clomifene. Mr Helenius was therefore unable to identify the source of clomifene in his Sample and therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of Ineligibility of two years.”

Helenius, speaking to Yle, said he continues to deny the offence ‘with all his heart.’

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“Yes, I deny it with all my heart. Although it is tough to accept that a suspension had to be imposed, I have to say I understand the decision in the sense that there needs to be some kind of sanction. Otherwise, anyone could claim that a positive result came from somewhere else.”

Helenius, 40, says he intends to continue his career – something he can’t do until September 17 2025. His record is paused with two brutal stoppage losses from his last three fights having been knocked out in the first round against Deontay Wilder in 2022.

After public row” Anthony Joshua sends brutal Message Card to Carl Froch 

Carl Froch and Anthony Joshua have been caught up in a number of tense exchanges in the past and the latter has renewed his rivalry after sending a voice note into The Cobra’s podcast

publicly questioned Carl Froch’s world title after sending him a pointed voice note.

The pair – former Team GB boxing teammates – have shared a tense relationship since then. They have butted heads on a number of occasions.

The Cobra shared a number of insulting messages between the pair earlier this year after Joshua’s upcoming fight with Daniel Dubois was announced. Froch suggested that Joshua was “spoiled” and claimed he had “lost a bit of class”.

And the pair have now butted heads again. The two-time heavyweight world champion sent Froch a voice note questioning his world champion status after his 2008 bout with Jean Pascal.

RELATED : But his promoters insist he has Anthony Joshua’s team are FURIOUS…..

In a message sent to Froch’s podcast, Joshua said: “What’s happening? How’s your week going? How’s your podcast going? Quick question – when you boxed Jean Pascal for your first world title in Nottingham actually, Tyson Fury actually made his pro debut on that card, you fought for a vacant title right?

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“So you didn’t beat a champion. What do you feel about that? Do you feel that you was regarded a champion because you fought for a vacant one? So the title not being there, it would have just been a normal fight. But they threw a title in the air and you became champion.

“You didn’t beat a champion, to become champion if you get what I mean. Do you feel like that win, not irrelevant, but it’s not highly regarded the same as if you was to have gone and beat a world champion? How do you feel about that fight with Jean Pascal?”

READ MORE  : REMATCH ‘He’s a cash cow’ – Zhilei Zhang accuses Anthony Joshua of ‘ducking’

Froch responded to Joshua’s claim by suggesting that he was being made to wait by Joe Calzaghe at the time. He also hinted that any suggestions that he was dodging a fight with Calzaghe was “b*******”.

He added: “Did I feel like world champion? I had the green and the gold belt. When I woke up and saw the belt at the bottom of my bed in the morning, I felt like a world champion. I know what he means. I didn’t beat the champion to become the champion. That’s probably why he conveniently didn’t ask about the IBF title.”

Joshua’s identity was not revealed straightaway, with Froch waiting until the end of the podcast to reveal the name of the caller. He then assured that the pair have since overcome their recent differences.

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He said: “I think they all know. Anthony Joshua was the first question. He sent me a voicemail. I think he’s alright. I think we’re seeing eye-to-eye. We’ve had a good exchange of messages. For all you fanboys out there that are upset that we’ve played the voicenote ‘oh you shouldn’t be releasing private messages’. Trust me, me and Anthony Joshua are okay.

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“We’re both fighters. We’ve both shared the ring and we’ve shared same trainer and environment. He’s got respect for me, I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I wish him all the best. He actually said he’d be coming on the channel in the near future. He’s paying me lip service.”

If he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again, Anthony Joshua could hand Tyson Fury world title lifeline  says Roy Jones Jr

Roy Jones Jr has told talkSPORT that Anthony Joshua may end up holding the key to Tyson Fury’s heavyweight return.

The Gypsy King was dethroned of his WBC crown by Oleksandr Usyk in May, and the Ukrainian emerged from their battle as undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion.

Usyk has since vacated his IBF belt, but will defend the WBA, WBC and WBO in his rematch with Fury, which is planned for December 21.

Meanwhile, that vacated IBF strap now belongs to Daniel Dubois.

When he beat Usyk’s mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic in June, Dubois claimed the IBF ‘interim’ belt, and so was upgraded to become the full champion after the Ukrainian gave it up.

Dubois will now be defending his IBF heavyweight world title against Joshua on September 21.

“I think Joshua is gonna be the favourite because of his past,” Jones Jr told talkSPORT Drive when asked about that fight.

“He just had a great fight with Francis Ngannou, but Ngannou is not Daniel Dubois.

“So it’s gonna be interesting for a few rounds, but if Joshua goes out and it’s the Joshua we wanna see, I think he’ll be dominant and be victorious.

READ MORE : “He Doesn’t Have What It Takes” Top Heavyweight Rival Says Anthony…

“If he takes Dubois lightly though, it could be an upset.”

As Jones Jr rightly pointed out, AJ is indeed the favourite in that fight.

Likewise, Usyk is the favourite to defeat Fury again on December 21.

Asked if he believes Fury will become champion again, Jones Jr replied: “I don’t know because here’s the thing.

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“And that’s a 50/50 fight to me. A real pick ’em.”

In this scenario, AJ would be the defending IBF world champion and offering Fury a lifeline to resurrect his career.

Time will tell how things play out in the fascinating heavyweight landscape.

“He Doesn’t Have What It Takes” Top Heavyweight Rival Says Anthony Joshua Will Never Fight Him

Anthony Joshua remains a popular target for anyone in the heavyweight division.

Anthony Joshua was a star of the sport almost as soon as he turned pro given that he won an Olympic Gold Medal at his home games in 2012. His career began with a string of early knockouts that led to him quickly becoming the IBF world champion.

Wins over Joseph Parker and Wladimir Klitschko saw him unify the WBO and WBA belts and, even after losses to Andy Ruiz – which he reversed in the rematch – and Oleksandr Usyk, he remains the most rewarding fight for many of his peers.

For that reason, many rivals continue to chase ‘AJ’, who faces fellow Brit Daniel Dubois next time out at Wembley Stadium as he attempts to regain his old IBF belt and become a three-time world champion.

Speaking to The MMA Hour, heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang has expressed his view that he will never get Joshua in the ring with him again having lost to him during the Olympics.

“Mark my words he’s not going to fight me ever. After the 2012 Olympic Games, that was when we initially collided, after that it’s been so many years. I was with Matchroom and I know what happened.

READ MORE : DMs in fiery feud ‘It’s bang out of line’ – Tony Bellew surprisingly criticises…

My managers flew to London and I got word. Look at his opponents – Francis Ngannou from UFC. Robert Helenius. I don’t think he has what it takes to stand up against me. The way he picks his opponents says a lot about him … Neither does Eddie [Hearn], they don’t want it. He’s a cash cow for Eddie.”

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Although he took a points loss to Joseph Parker last year, Zhang is coming off his best win having stopped Deontay Wilder in five rounds. He has sights set on the Parker rematch whilst the belts are tied up.

DMs in fiery feud ‘It’s bang out of line’ – Tony Bellew surprisingly criticises Carl Froch after leaking Anthony Joshua 

Tony Bellew is surprised by Carl Froch’s decision to leak fiery DMs with Anthony Joshua.

Carl Froch and Joshua have been embroiled in a fiery feud since ‘The Cobra’ criticised AJ’s heavyweight career only in recent appearances on his YouTube channel.

The Nottingham native then leaked himself and Joshua’s private messages, which showed the heavyweight angrily hitting back at Froch after calling him a ‘p***k’ in an interview.

But mutual friend of the pair Bellew insists the former world champion crossed the line by leaking their messages behind-closed-doors.

“I think that’s wrong. Private DMs are exactly what it’s supposed to be. Private DMs. So I find that a little bit alarming,” he told Best Online Poker Sites.

“Very unlike Carl, so I was surprised to be fair, but it is what it is. I think one lad’s been basically silenced and the other one doesn’t really respond to anybody.

“I think Joshua just took it personally and Carl’s just having a dig at everything and anything at the moment.

“Ultimately, I do think it’s wrong to leak personal DMs. I think that’s bang out of line.”

Bellew insisted despite the promise of a physical altercation, nothing will happen.

He continued: “No one’s going to punch you over a bit of Twitter beef but you can’t disrespect people and say ‘listen, let’s meet up and straighten this out’, because that’s only going to go one way and no one wants to see that.

“Carl Froch is an absolute legend. He’s a hall of famer. I know personally that Joshua rates him massively as a fighter, he’s got all the respect in the world for him.

“But he just doesn’t like the things he’s saying about him and to be fair it’s not really the full truth that he’s saying.

“It’s a little bit wrong when you’re leaking personal DMs.”

Froch had then lashed out at the heavy-handed Briton, insisting that his anger was ’embarrassing’.

The pair were previously stablemates under promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing.

READ MORE : REMATCH ‘He’s a cash cow’ – Zhilei Zhang accuses Anthony Joshua of ‘ducking’

But relations have turned sour, and it is clear that the pair no longer see eye-to-eye.

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Tensions could well rise again if Froch chooses to speak out against Joshua regarding his upcoming September 21 showdown with Daniel Dubois.

The former Olympic gold medallist has chance to become a three-time heavyweight world champion, and could set up a 2025 showdown with Tyson Fury.

REMATCH ‘He’s a cash cow’ – Zhilei Zhang accuses Anthony Joshua of ‘ducking’ rematch in rant as he eyes revenge for Olympics knockdown defeat

Zhilei Zhang has claimed Anthony Joshua will never give him a rematch in the professional ranks.

Zhilei Zhang and Joshua met for the first time at the London Olympics in 2012, where the Briton won by decision after dropping the Chinese star to the canvas with a crunching shot.

The pair have not yet met as professionals, with AJ currently focusing on his mission to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.

And ‘Big Bang’ believes it will never happen due to Joshua’s recent selection of opponents.

Zhang told the MMA Hour: “Mark my words, he’s not fighting me. He’s not going to fight me, ever.

“Because after the 2012 Olympic Games, that was when we initially collided.

“After that, it’s been so many years. I was with Matchroom [Boxing] and I know what happened. I don’t think he’s ever going to fight me.

“My managers flew to London and I got words. So I don’t think he’s going to fight me.

“Look at his previous opponents – Francis Ngannou from the UFC, Robert Helenius, I don’t think he has what it takes to stand up to me.

“The way he picks his opponents says a lot about him. Neither does Eddie [Hearn] want it. He’s [AJ] a cash cow for Eddie.

“The closest time we had to getting the deal done was after AJ lost to Usyk and I lost to Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia.

“My managers got an invitation, flew to London to talk to them, and got a no.

“I don’t know why. I don’t have a reason. That’s his problem. But if he ever wants to fight, I’m in.”

A showdown has always been teased between the pair with Joshua having explored the option of facing Zhang on multiple occasions.

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READ MORE : But his promoters insist he has Anthony Joshua’s team are FURIOUS…..

But Joshua has now received a title shot for the IBF belt against Daniel Dubois on September 21.

Zhang has yet to pencil in his next outing, but is coming to the end of his career at the age of 41.

He will be hoping for a final hoorah for a title, when the option comes up with Usyk and Daniel Dubois currently holding the belts.

But his promoters insist he has Anthony Joshua’s team are FURIOUS with Daniel Dubois ‘over his failure to sign up for VADA drug testing’ ahead of September showdown.

Anthony Joshua ‘s team are furious with Daniel Dubois after claiming he failed to sign up for additional drug testing.

The former sparring partners will go head to head for the IBF heavyweight title in September at Wembley Stadium.

However, Joshua’s team has claimed Dubois is yet to sign up for additional testing with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

The former two-time unified heavyweight champion’s team wrote in a tweet on Tuesday: ‘Evening @Queensberry… any update on why @DynamiteDubois isn’t signed up for @Vada_Testing yet??”

However, Queensberry Promotions responded to 258 Management saying: ‘Daniel is enrolled as VADA will confirm.’

This comes after Joshua and Dubois almost came to blows as they sat down for a joint interview ahead of their September 21 title fight.

Tensions rose when Dubois told Joshua that he was more than ready to ‘go now’ if he ‘wants to swing’.

‘Shut up, relax,’ Joshua responded. ‘I’ll throw this f***ing chair across your face. Don’t disrespect me.’

Dubois attempted to remain calm, saying: ‘You can’t intimidate me, who do you think you are?’

That comment got Joshua out of his seat with the pair having to be separated by security as Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn watched on.

READ MORE : “I’ll Never Forget It” Anthony Joshua Makes Shock Pick For Hardest…

‘Daniel don’t disrespect me or I’ll put this f***ing chair through your face,’ Joshua continued.

‘Warn this little boy not to disrespect me. I don’t take disrespect lightly you know. Don’t sit on the table telling me we can go now, telling me this and that.

Promoter Frank Warren said: ‘This was serious. We don’t need any stunts to sell this fight.’

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