Daniel Dubois says he wants a heavyweight title more than ever as he prepares to face Fabio Wardley for the WBO belt on May 9, despite battles he has fought outside the ring during his 16-week training camp.
"I feel like I want it more than ever at the moment. I've had more battles to deal with outside of the ring," Dubois said. "Those personal struggles, they've only made me more driven. Fighting those demons off is hard work, but it's worth it."
Dubois did not elaborate on what those personal struggles involve.
Reunited with trainer Don Charles
Dubois has reconnected with trainer Don Charles after a brief split following his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk. The pair are now working together on his path back to the top of the division.
"There have been things going on around that fight that I am looking forward to washing off when I step into the ring," Dubois said.
Dubois, a former heavyweight champion, said the memory of holding a title is part of what drives him now. "I have been the heavyweight champion, I know what that feels like, and I want to get my belt back for sure," he said. "It's not just for me. It's for my team around me, the work they put in, I want to reward them with that belt."
No easy route back
The fight comes after Dubois' loss to Usyk last July. He said he had no interest in taking a softer route back to the top by facing a lesser opponent.
"I believe I'm at that level now. I can't take easy steps back. I've had all the easy touches in my career," Dubois said. "Now it's time to just beat the best out there, and that's what I'm gonna do, beat the best out there and go out on a f***ing high at the end of my career. I want to tick all of those boxes."
Dubois said he does not dwell on his losses. "I'm not someone who lets defeats weigh on me. I just brush it off like it's nothing and I don't think about it again," he said. "Look at Derek 'War' Chisora. I love how many losses he's had and he's come back even bigger and better. He's a massive icon in boxing. Losses don't mean anything to me. I am improving every time, and I aim to give it my best and show people I am the real deal."
The jab built on push-ups
Analysts see Dubois' jab as key to beating Wardley. Dubois credits the punch to discipline instilled in childhood.
"Years and years of push-ups," he said, laughing, before adding: "I started doing push-ups when I was four or five. I would wake up every morning and do hundreds of them. Then I had a good amateur pedigree too, so I learnt how to use it. My amateur coach used to say I could win a fight with my jab alone."
"I loved putting my body through the trenches from early on, and I have the scars to prove it," Dubois said. "My knuckles would bleed because of all the push-ups I would do, but it made the skin underneath harder and mould over. It was intense, but boxing is an intense sport and I've now created the weapons to be successful."
He said his years as a young sparring partner, taking beatings in the gym, taught him the value of toughening up. "You know, get you beaten up in the gym sometimes, but then you end up beating up the guys that are beating you up. Then that's the best part of it."
Shaking off the 'quitter' label
Dubois still carries the weight of past criticism, including the 'quitter' label that followed his first loss to Usyk and questions over his toughness after his defeat to Joe Joyce. He pulled out of the Joyce fight because of an orbital fracture, which led some to doubt his ability to fight through adversity.
Dubois said he is using the doubts as motivation rather than letting them define him, and sees the Wardley fight as his chance to prove himself.
Watching Wardley's rise
Dubois has also been tracking Wardley's career, including his upset stoppage win over Joseph Parker in the 11th round. "I was impressed by his last performance," Dubois said. "Everyone was hyping up Parker, but it was good to see a Brit do it. I was glad to see Fabio win. Now I'll get the chance to take the heavyweight title off him."
Even so, Dubois said he is not fooled by Wardley's rise. "He's been lucky up until now, and his luck is going to run out when he faces me," he said. "I've learned quite a few things different, you know, different experiences and sharing the ring with one of the top fighters of this era. Now I will use that all against Fabio. I will win this fight by any means necessary."
