By Shaun Brown
ROUNDS. Every prospect needs them.
When you’re knocking people over for fun during the infant stages of your career there must come a time when you need to go further than the first few rounds of a fight. It ticks boxes, answers questions and proves that when the going gets tough…
But does it need to be that way?
What if you’re six foot five, weigh around 240lbs and have the kind of punch power that the prospect of running into a brick wall, face first, might prove to be better for your health.
Daniel Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren has brought in the ‘Kingpin’ Kevin Johnson to ensure that the Dubois clock has a few more miles on it after their fight tomorrow night in Leicester, live on BT Sports.
Dubois (8-0, 8 KOs) is a 21-year-old behemoth up and down, left to right, when you look at him. Boxing Scene interrupted the baby heavyweight, during the final days of preparation for his biggest fight to date against the 39-year-old American, and asked him – despite having been taking into round five last time out by Tom Little – if he is looking to get rounds from here on in.
“Not really,” he replied.
“Rounds is not my concern at all, it’s not what I look to. I look to go in and win and if winning means knocking them out in the first, second or third round then that’s what it’s going to be. I don’t really go in there looking for rounds. If I can knock them out straight away, I’ll knock them out and that’s just how I approach every fight.”
The Londoner has caught the eye during phase one of his professional career. The jab and the power look like tools that, with more polishing, could take him very far.
As usual, like any fighter, Dubois is expecting his opponent to bring his A-game, his very best and is preparing for the best possible Kevin Johnson. The likelihood is that once Johnson feels the force of the youngster’s shots he may well retreat and enter survival mode. The threat from the one-time challenger to Vitali Klitschko’s WBC heavyweight title, when Dubois was in high school, could well be the old tricks from the old campaigner who may look to frustrate, tie up and force the rising star into mistakes. To prepare for any such predicament Dubois aided his preparations by flying out to Russia to spar Alexander Povetkin ahead of the 38-year-old’s world title tilt against Anthony Joshua last month.
“It was good. A good experience,” said Dubois of his trip.
“People treated us well. Sparring was great. I got good rounds out there. It was good to go out there and get some work because in my gym it’s not easy getting heavyweights to spar so it was good to go out there and get the experience of sparring Povetkin. I sparred some other Russian heavyweights as well.”
Despite something of a minor uproar in some circles at a compatriot of Joshua’s going out to spar the Russian Dubois always knew that the number one heavyweight would always emerge triumphant at Wembley Stadium.
“I sort of knew Joshua would win. I didn’t say which round it was, but I sort of picked the third or fourth round. It is what it is. I thought Joshua’s size would be a big factor in the fight. His strength, his youth and he’s a world champion and not easy to knock off that pedestal right now. Joshua just did what he had to do. Got a good performance, got the win and got the knockout.”
Dubois and his manager Martin Bowers, who flew out with him to Russia, did take in some sightseeing round the likes of The Kremlin but the trip was mostly business. A chance to sample a different environment, a different type of person and for Dubois it was beneficial to leave home for a bit.
“It was good to get out of the country, to rest my mind and slow things down a bit and get into a different routine. That was good in a sense.”
Dubois was a man of few words on this occasion, but he was 11 days out from a fight. And regardless of who it is against, some fighters are different. Some will give you their life story on the eve of a fight while some will go into a different mode long before that. Dubois is learning about all sides of the sport. He’s doing his talking in the ring and that’s what matters.
“It’s been alright,” he said reviewing his career to date.
“It’s been okay. That’s all I can say. It’s been okay. I’ve won all my fights, but we need to better and improve but it’s been okay. I’m looking to improve all round, my whole game really, nothing in particular. How to manage the sport mentally, physically and to expand in all areas really, and my knowledge of the sport.”
And after a few words here and there about his physical development, the state of the heavyweight division and where his family name comes from (Grenada), Dubois went back to work to do the most important talking of all; with his fists.
Twitter @sbrown2pt0