"Not Ignoring the Issue": Trainers Discuss Joshua vs. Dubois

On September 21, Wembley Stadium in London, UK, will host a bout between former champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and IBF heavyweight titleholder (over 90.7 kg) Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs).

Joshua's trainer, Ben Davison, is convinced that his fighter will secure an early victory, paving the way for a rematch with WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs).

"I expect a knockout. Honestly, I am confident that Anthony will win by stoppage. Dubois' strengths play into Joshua's hands, as do his weaknesses. The fight with Oleksandr Usyk is not available right now, so the bout with Dubois is the next best option for us. But I hope this leads to a chance for Joshua to fight Usyk again. If the opportunity arises, Joshua will be successful in that fight. But for now, we are fully focused on Dubois," Davison said in an interview with the Boxing News YouTube channel.

Dubois' trainer, Don Charles, also shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight and responded to criticism.

"We have a lot of work to do. Everyone is focused on his defense and his susceptibility to right hands. Yes, we see it and we are working on it. They say 'AJ will destroy him' because he takes too many right hands. But in boxing, when you throw a right hand, you also risk getting countered. If they are foolish enough to rely on that, they will be surprised. We are not ignoring the issue and we will work on it. He took too many punches against Hrgovic. That wasn't our plan, but we will correct it in the fight with Joshua, and this time it won't happen. At first, he was accused of refusing to fight, and I hope his recent fights have proven otherwise. We have now shown that we can take a punch, and that question is settled. When we beat Anthony Joshua, what will they say next? It fuels us, especially Daniel, to prove the critics wrong and get the victory," Charles said on talkSPORT Breakfast.