Daniel Dubois’ trainer Don Charles was not present at Wednesday’s public workout and is not expected to attend Thursday night’s press conference due to a cold.
But there is no rift in the IBF champion’s camp ahead of Saturday’s Wembley Stadium showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Charles simply had a cold.
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Dubois’ former coach Shane McGuigan breaks down which way the fight could go
His son, George Fox told Sky Sports: “No secret, no ploy, no plan to unsettle anyone.”
Assistant trainer Kieran Farrell also denied that Dubois was carrying an injury. “Daniel has no injury to his right hand – he’s injured my hands with the power of his shots!” Farrell told Sky Sports.
Dubois trains with Charles
Charles has been in Dubois’ corner for this last three fights and has been credited with playing a key role in how Dubois has turned his career around, becoming an interim titlist and ultimately a world champion after bouncing back from defeat to Oleksandr Usyk with victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
New teams, new fighters?
Sky Sports‘ Matt Macklin says:
“AJ is coming in off two really good wins. You can dissect them and say he should have done that to Otto Wallin, he should have done that to Francis Ngannou. Maybe, but he still did and he did it with a new trainer, Ben Davison.
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Joshua has a look back at some of his most viral workouts and explains the story behind them
“Dubois’ had a couple of defeats, but no shame in losing to either Joe Joyce or Oleksandr Usyk. He wasn’t knocked out in those fights – he chose not to continue. It got tough and hard against Jarrell Miller but he stayed in there and got the knockout late in the fight. Filip Hrgovic same thing again, he stayed in there when the going got tough.
“So I would imagine psychologically he’s turned a corner there again.
“His confidence, and belief going into the biggest fight of his life is where it needs to be.”
Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with Daniel Dubois takes place on Saturday September 21 live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Joshua v Dubois now!