After Daniel Dubois’ successful return at the weekend in stopping Bogdan Dinu inside two rounds, the Brit boxer has his sights set on the interim heavyweight title, and also wants to get back in the ring with Joe Joyce.
The victory was a statement of intent from the 23-year-old, who is now gearing up for a world title shot just six months after first career loss against Joyce.
Speaking to Sky Sports, ‘Dynamite’ was in a buoyant mood after knocking out the Romanian.
“I’m very confident in myself,” Dubois boasted. “I believe now with a bit of help from the team, and what I’ve already got, I’ve got a great chance of winning a world heavyweight title,” said Daniel Dubois
“I’m ready to pick a way again and start fighting whoever they put in front of me.”
Saturday night’s emphatic KO means that Dubois is now mandatory challenger for Trevor Bryan’s WBA Regular belt, with Queensberry Promotions chief Frank Warren hoping to see that fight before the year is out.
American Bryan is an unbeaten heavyweight with impressive knockout victories over former Tony Bellew foe BJ Flores and Bermane Stiverne – the only man to take Deontay Wilder the distance before Tyson Fury.
A match-up against the New Yorker would be another big test for Dubois, but having his arm raised in that fight would make him the mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua’s WBA Super title.
A fight against AJ would pit two knockout merchants against each other in what could be a mega-fight down the line, although Dubois is happy to bide his time.
“I’ve got to keep my feet on the ground and then come through whoever they put in front of me,” he said. “I want to get back what was taken from me. The titles and all the belts.”
Clearly focused on his progression as opposed to any redemption over Joyce, the Greenwich fighter stopped short of ruling out a rematch with the one man to get the better of him so far.
“I know I could definitely beat him with some changes and doing things a little bit differently.
“With a bit more experience and just using my tools properly that I have, going about it the right way, I can definitely beat him.
"I definitely want to get revenge and that's part of the comeback. I've got to right the wrongs and just get rid of my errors and my mistakes and hopefully clear it up again with Joe."
Dubois is a level-headed young man with the world still very much at his feet. With many questioning whether he would continue his career after fracturing his eye socket against Joyce, it is testament to his talents that he is being discussed as a potential future world champion.
With Frazer Clarke set to turn professional after this summer’s Olympics and challenge the heavyweight status quo of Joshua, Fury, Dillian Whyte and Joyce, we should be in for some huge domestic bouts in the next few years.
Daniel Dubois expects to be in that conversation sooner rather than later, and if his performance against Dinu is anything to go by, who are we to suggest otherwise?
