TEAM MATES, NOT MATES
They were together at the GB amateur HQ but Dubois insists he was never friends with Joyce: It was just business
DANIEL DUBOIS has stoked up his rivalry with Joe Joyce by insisting: “We’re not friends”.
Dubois spent 18 months as Joyce’s amateur team-mate at GB Boxing’s Sheffield HQ six years ago. He claims he was not interested in becoming pals with Joyce and sees his rival as just another opponent.
“We’re not friends, we’re not buddies, we’re fighters,” he said. “He’s in my way, so I’ve got to bust him up, knock him out and get him out of my way – deal with him ruthlessly.
“It’s always been strictly business for me, even when we were together at Sheffield in the GB set-up. I was up there, getting experience, sparring with Anthony Joshua.
“When we were on the GB team, I was there strictly to get experience, not make friends. Those spars, those gym wars we had up there, were all part of my learning as a fighter.”
The 23- year- old Dubois, who is 15- 0- 0, makes no apology for his animosity towards the unbeaten Joyce and shoved him at their faceoff earlier in the year (top left).
“I wasn’t losing my cool there,” said the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion.
“This is business for me and drama happens. If there’s animosity between the fighters, that helps sell it even more. It’s good for the fans.”
Joyce, 35, is using his experience to try to intimidate Dubois ahead of Saturday’s showdown at Westminster’s Church House, and has delighted in telling everyone he got the better of their spars at Sheffield. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist, who is 11-0-0, has also patronised his fellow south Londoner by calling him “the young pup”.
His taunts have bounced off Dubois like opponents’ punches and he says he has plenty of experience because he has been boxing since he was nine.
“He’s got to say what he thinks he’s got to say, it’s no big deal at all for me,” said the man nicknamed ‘Dynamite’. “I’m not worried at all about what he’s got to say. I’m ready to fight and do a demolition job on him. He can talk about his experience, but I’ve been boxing for as long as I can remember.
“I’ve been boxing so long it’s in my DNA, it’s part of my soul now. This is not my first time at the rodeo, I’m an experienced fighter.”
Dubois has been training for Saturday’s showdown under mentor Martin Bowers at the Peacock Gym for virtually all of this year.
He has been lifting huge 100kg stones as part of his conditioning work under trainer Cuong Hua, who is like some Mr Miyagi figure, at the Commando Temple in Deptford, south London.
Dubois claims the exercise, which looks like a form of torture, is great for building up his core strength.
“They’re heavy and it’s good work,” he added. “It will really benefit me in the long run.
“I’m ready to go through torture to win this fight. Everything that hurts and makes me feel pain in training can only make me stronger on Saturday.”
Dubois vs Joyce is live and exclusive on BT Sport 1 HD on Saturday.