Charles Brings In Talented Farrell To Sharpen Dubois’ Heavyweight Tools

Don Charles is working with former fighter Kieran Farrell to sharpen the tools of heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois.

Farrell was a quality lightweight who retired early after suffering a brain injury in his fight against Anthony Crolla in 2012, but he has emerged as a talented coach who is well-respected for his padwork. 

Charles has drafted 33-year-old Farrell in to ease the load.

“It’s specifically just for Daniel Dubois,” Charles explained. “I’ve never worked with anybody since I’ve been doing this job. I am an older citizen, I’m 62-years-old and I needed to bring in somebody who understands my ethos of coaching, and since Daniel has been with me, I’ve moulded him into the type of fighter stylistically I want him to be and what Kieran does is takes that same format, and runs with it and make him faster.”

Dubois is a heavy-hitter, a 26-year-old who is 20-2 with 19 wins by knockout. Charles said the heavyweight’s next fight is “pending in the next couple of months”  

“It gives me time to keep moulding him and developing him into this fighter I envisage him becoming,” Charles added.

“He’s been a regular world champion with a regular [WBA] belt, he’s fought for a world title, okay, we will see who’s the best fighter with [Tyson] Fury and [Oleksandr] Usyk, but he’s already been in with let’s say the second-best heavyweight of this era [Usyk], and he didn’t do bad. We’re still getting used to each other. Remember, he hasn’t been with us long. He’s really buying in to the concept of the type of fighter I want him to become.”

With Dubois involved in the mix in Saudi Arabia following his entertaining win over Jarell Miller, it is likely he will continue fighting there. Against who remains to be seen, but Charles is open to Dubois getting back in the mix with Joe Joyce soon, the man who handed him his first defeat by inflicting serious eye damage on a young Dubois in 2020.  

“It’s one of the fights,” Charles said, when asked about interest in Joyce. “I think Frank Warren even mentioned it, so down the line most definitely, if Joe keeps winning, and we keep winning, that would be a wicked return fight. 

“Joe holds a victory over Daniel, so we’d love to avenge that. All the great fighters of the past… and one that springs to mind is Lennox Lewis, he’s one who avenged his losses. Joe was well up there, now he’s beaten [Kash] Ali [returning from losses to Zhilei Zhang], look at what Joseph Parker has recently done [in terms of rebuilding since being stopped by joyce]. Joe beat him, and look what Joseph Parker has done. That’s how this heavyweight thing goes.”