There are now under six weeks to go until my fight with Joe Joyce on April 11 at the O2 Arena.
We recently found out it will be for the European title on top of the British and Commonwealth belts, but that doesn’t matter to me too much. This fight’s big enough as it is.
Joyce is a tough, undefeated contender, I’m gonna be up for this one, it’s gonna be a tremendous fight. But I’m more than confident I’ll win. I’ve got to win, I refuse to lose. I just go in with that mentality.
It’s a fight, whoever I’ve got to face for whatever belt or crown they put on top of it – it sells the show I think. But at the end of the day I’ve got to get in there and it’s just going to be me and him.
I relish taking control of the fight, dictating the fight and beating him. I’m ready to unleash hell. I really don’t have an idea of how this one’s gonna turn out, but I know I’ve got to go in there and just bring everything out that I’ve learned throughout all my years of boxing.
I think a lot of it’s internal. What you’ve got inside of you, if you’re that way inclined and that type of person and fighter. When I’m under fire, they say the best form of defence is attack, that’s what I try and apply every time in a situation like that. If it comes to a firefight, I’ll be more than up to scratch and ready to take him out.
CHANGING TRAINERS?
I saw that Joe has once again changed trainer, leaving Adam Booth to reunite with Ismael Salas. That’s his business.
I believe you need to have a bond and a working relationship with your coach. If it’s not broken, they why do you need to fix it? On my behalf there’s gonna be no swapping of trainers or that sort of stuff.
Daniel Dubois on the heavy bag
NEW CONTRACT
I also recently signed a long term contract extension with Queensberry Promotions.
It’s a good deal, at the end of the day I think Frank Warren is the top man. He’s got the heavyweight champion of the world in Tyson Fury and there’s not a better place that I need to be.
I’m delighted that Frank and Queensberry are gonna get the best years out of me.
FURY VS WILDER
Speaking of Fury, he came away with an amazing victory by knocking out Deontay Wilder.
I thought to myself a couple of times – What if Fury uses his size and puts it on Wilder? How’s Wilder going to deal with that? He’s never been in there with a guy that’s not only heavier, but can box and use his size.
He obviously couldn’t deal with him. Credit to both fighters for bringing a great show, I enjoyed it, the pressers, the build-up, everything.
BELTS AT HOME
Fury winning means all four heavyweight titles are now in the UK. Wherever the belts are you chase them, whoever’s the top man, you’ve gotta beat the man.
It’s great they’re in England, all the belts in the country, that’s wicked. With the heavyweight boxing scene in Britain that’s going on, I think we’re the best in the world right now. It’s good because we’re gonna have good, competitive fights with each other for the major titles.
I’ll fight either one of them down the line, I’m not bothered which. But I’ve got a big fight at the moment, I’m not gonna be side-tracked or take my mind off of that.
Something big is on the horizon, we’re not too far away from it. I’ve just gotta continue turning out the performances and beating the guys they put in front of me.
FAMILY AFFAIRS
My younger sister Caroline Dubois was recently named in the Team GB squad that will attempt to represent the country at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
In March she’s got the qualifiers at the Copper Box in London. I’m looking forward to that, it’s gonna be amazing. I think she’s gonna qualify, I believe she will, she’s training hard, doing everything she has to do, and she’ll then bring home that gold.
My younger brother Prince Dubois is boxing in the national championships at the moment, we’ve got another one coming through there. Hopefully, we’ll come away with the title again, that’s what he won last year.
We’re all working hard, we’re all doing our best. Prince wants to fight at heavyweight alongside me one day and says we could be like the Klitschkos – ruling the division together.
Imagine that? That would be amazing. We want to leave a good legacy in the sport and we’re only just getting started.
Daniel Dubois vs Joe Joyce is at the O2 in London on 11 April. For ticket info, see here
