FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY
The Dubois clan boasts three boxing siblings and heavyweight star Daniel says they get it from forebear Sylvia, a pugilist in 19th-century America
THEY are Britain’s fighting family.
Daniel Dubois is the nation’s hottest heavyweight prospect, sister Caroline GB Boxing’s best female amateur fighter and brother Prince a schoolboy champion.
Boxing is in their blood and Daniel says they can trace their fighting genes back to an ancestor called Sylvia Dubois.
Sylvia was an AfricanAmerican who lived in the 1800s and gained notoriety for being handy with her fists.
The siblings’ dad David discovered her story when researching the family tree a couple of years ago and Daniel says she must be the source of their boxing prowess.
“If you look up Sylvia Dubois, she’s the one we get our boxing ability from,” said Daniel.
“Going way back in the 1800s, in America, she was a pugilist. My dad found out about her and told me about her. I’ve seen a picture of her as an old lady and I would have liked to have seen her fight.
“Apparently she was something else. I don’t know too much about it, but I think it was bare knuckle back then. That’s where our boxing genes come from and all these years later, the Dubois family are still fighting.
“It’s strange how boxing features so strongly in our family with Caroline, Prince and myself.
“We’ve had a big weekend with Caroline fighting in the Olympic qualifiers and Prince in the nationals.”
Daniel, 22, has entrusted Caroline, who is three years younger, to win Olympic gold for the family since he quit the amateurs in 2017 to pursue his world title dream.
“I’ve no regrets about turning professional because I know Caroline will take care of that for the family,” he said.
Daniel’s trainer and manager Martin Bowers said: “Caroline will bring back the gold for the family. Dan’s mission is to be world champion, not Olympic champion, and it never was.”
Daniel is making rapid progress and now holds the WBC Silver and WBO International belts after winning his first 14 fights.
He is preparing for his next fight against Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce at the O2 on April 11, although that is likely to change because of coronavirus.
Prince, 15, aims to follow his big brother into the paid ranks of the heavyweights and Daniel says they will be south London’s answer to the Klitschkos.
A photo of Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko adorns the walls of the Peacock Gym in Canning Town, where Daniel trains, a memento from the boxing brothers’ visit there more than 20 years ago.
“There’s a photo over there of the two of them before they went on to achieve all they did,” said Bowers. “That’s what we’re going to have with Dan and Prince.”
Daniel said: “They were both such great fighters, who ruled the heavyweight division together. That’s our dream and Prince is already a big boy, bigger than I was at his age.
“I’ll be Vitali, of course, and Prince will be Wladimir because I’m the oldest!”