Hamilton fears being taken to Max
HEAVYWEIGHT HOPE IN DRIVE FOR SUCCESS
EXCLUSIVE DANIEL DUBOIS wants to be immortalised in boxing’s hall of fame and earn enough money to have a garage full of flash cars.
But while he is continuing his education in the ring to realise his first ambition, the heavyweight prospect
heway
will have to get the L plates out soon if he wants the expensive motors.
“I don’t even have my licence yet,” said the unbeaten 22-year-old Londoner.
“I’ve got my provisional. I’ve got to get back on that. Maybe after this fight I’ll book some lessons.
“My dad has always driven me around but I have to get on it.”
‘Dynamite’ Dubois continues on the road to the top as heads into his 15th professional outing tonight against Ricardo Snijders at BT Sport studios.
The 18-1 Dutchman, a late replacement after original foe Erik Pfeifer had issues with his medical, is not even going to be a tricky speedbump on the way.
But while his driving test is a way off, an examination of the Greenwich puncher’s credentials as a future world champion will come when he takes on Rio Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce later this year.
So far Dubois has answered every question asked of him in the ring with 13 knockouts in 14 wins.
The Joyce clash has drawn what Dubois calls “eerie” comparisons with Lennox Lewis’ fight with Gary Mason back in 1991 with the British – and likely – the European title to be on the line.
Lewis won that fight and went on to become undisputed heavyweight king and entered boxing’s hall of fame.
“I want to get in the boxing hall of fame,” said Dubois.
“I want to win all the titles, have all the good fights, the legacy building fights and have the nights that the whole world is interested in.
“I want to be a British boxing hero like Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno.”
Dubois still has a way to go but he is certainly on the right route with Snijders set to join the highlight reel of knockouts later tonight. There is
THREAT: Verstappen with team boss Christian Horner plenty of hope in those who are backing him, including promoter Frank Warren, that he will reach the top and BT Sport are investing in him – but with that comes expectation.
“I feel there is pressure but I need that pressure to get up every day and do it,” he said.
“I need to be having a bit of fear and that sort of drive behind me. That is what I need.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m not the sort of person who will curl up into a ball and try to hide.
“Do I get nervous? No. I come alive when I’m in the dressing room before a fight.
“I think about what I want to do in
LEWIS HAMILTON fears Max Verstappen could wreck his dream of a record-equalling seventh world title.
The Briton is in the driving seat to match Michael Schumacher’s trophy haul after romping to four wins in the opening six races of the season.
That near-flawless start the ring and the damage I want cause and how I’m going to do that.
“Like breathing, eating and sleeping is for everyone else, fighting is also like that for me.”
When the smiling heavyweight from the Peacock Gym in Canning Town talks about doing damage his mood doesn’t darken as he almost says it in passing.
Dubois has not felt any different being in the world of the hotel boxing bubble this week.
“I don’t think I have any normal days now, can you call any of this normal?” he said.
“Since I started this boxing there hasn’t been a normal day. Fighting, has seen the reigning champion open up a 37-point lead over Red Bull’s Verstappen ahead of tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix.
But Hamilton insists his closest challenger is still in the championship fight.
“If you take the first race away with Max having the DNF (did not finish), I think if you look at the results it would be very, very close in points still,” Hamilton said.
“They’ve had very strong results and they’re getting closer in races.
“Maybe in qualifying we do have the edge but when it comes to the race we’re generally a lot closer. We’re not even to thinking about fighting, training, sparring, that’s not really normal is it?”
The life of superstardom won’t be normal either if he reaches the heights those who know about boxing believe he will.
For now his biggest purchase has been a new family home where he lives with his siblings.
But there will need to be a big garage extension one day if he does become a world heavyweight champion. halfway through the season and so I absolutely keep my eye on them.
“I think they still are a title runner, and so we need to stay on our toes.”
Tomorrow’s race marks the start of the third triple-header run of three consecutive races after a weekend off.
A win for Hamilton will edge him closer to another of Schumacher’s records with the Mercedes star three victories shy of equalling the German’s 91 career wins.
But his pursuit for glory got off to a slow start yesterday as Verstappen and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo topped the second practice timesheets at Spa.