A hotly-anticipated fight rumoured for years between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois has taken on a serious form.
Dubois turned professional in 2017 with little senior amateur experience but ample hype behind him.
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Around the same time, rumors began circulating in boxing circles about how a teenaged Dubois had either knocked down or knocked out A.J. in sparring.
Dubois added fuel to the fire by refusing to refute the claim — while Joshua remained silent on the matter.
But ahead of September 21 – when they’ll step into the ring for real – AJ has taken bold steps to squash the rumors.
Others who were there that day said the same, as Hearn had also been deceived by the fabricated fight story for several years.
He told SunSport: “Like any boxing rumours, sparring rumours, they’re always greatly exaggerated.
“If you look at Anthony Fowler on Instagram, who was at the fight, he explained exactly what happened.”
“AJ wasn’t even knocked out. By all accounts, he was provoked and they kept fighting.
“So, I would be surprised if any heavyweight could fight in even one camp without being affected by these guys who are 18-19 stone and are hitting each other.
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“I remember when I first saw the rumours going around that she’d been given a ring, I was almost reading them at the time thinking, ‘That can’t be true, can it?’
“No, not at all. But now you’re hearing it from people who were there.
“But I’m sure they both hurt each other in fights. They’re both very good punchers.”
The London pair almost started a fight when they came face to face for his IBF title.
I have sparred with Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois but neither of them hit as hard as the 6ft 8in Briton who was a ‘different type’.When DuBois, 26, offered to throw away the junk, Joshua, 34, threatened to throw a chair at him.
Some fans were shocked by the ruthless exchange – but Hearn insisted it was nothing new.
He said: “It’s so funny because people say, ‘We’ve never seen A.J. do that before.’
“If you go back to Dominic Breazeale’s time when he competed one-on-one, that was about ten years ago.
“And Breazeale said, ‘I’m ready now, do you want to fight now?’ And it was exactly that.
“Otto Wallin, actually in a press conference and AJ did exactly that. So it’s really nothing different.
“I think sometimes people expect that this clean ambassador won’t have a straightener in the studio.
AJ wasn’t even knocked out. By all accounts, he was provoked and they continued the fight.
Eddie Hearn speaks out on Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua fight rumours
“But that’s just the way he is. He’s got it all, he’s got that fight, he’s got that dog in him and he’s ready to go at any time.
“And, we don’t want him to lose that, because that’s the edge we need in boxing and that’s the edge he needs in this fight.”
This all-British contest is not just a matter of local pride, but also has much wider implications.
Dubois defended the title he received as interim champion after 37-year-old Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the belt for a rematch with 36-year-old Tyson Fury.
Usyk and Fury will face off again on December 21, and a win for Joshua will make him the winner.
But a loss for AJ or Fury would hurt their pocketbooks in talks for a blockbuster fight.
Hearn admitted: “It’s a fight they both definitely want, but a lot depends on these upcoming bouts.
“If AJ won on September 21 and Fury won on December 21 it would have been the biggest fight in the history of the sport.
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“If someone wins, someone loses, you still have a big fight. The value of the fight changes depending on what happens on September 21 and December 21.
“And obviously the value of the fight will be key in building the fight in the minds of the fighters, particularly with Tyson Fury.”
