IBF Heavyweight World Champion Daniel Dubois is undoubtedly one of the hardest punchers in the division.
With sparring partners and opponents comparing the young Brit’s jab to a solid right hand, Dubois has scored knockouts in 21 of his 22 wins. In the last eighteen months he has handed losses to previously undefeated fighters in Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic and scored his most famous KO of all – Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium.
Even in the 27-year-old’s two losses – once to Joe Joyce and then to Oleksandr Usyk – he has not made it the distance, taking a knee against Joyce due to a severe eye injury and missing the count against Usyk when put down in the ninth.
Only once has Dubois heard the final bell, and that came against heavyweight Kevin Johnson back in 2018 when ‘DDD’ won comfortably on points.
Despite the stories of Dubois’ power, speaking to IFL TV, Johnson identified Australia’s Alex Leapai as the hardest puncher he faced.
“The worst I ever felt was Alex Leapai. I s**t you not, it was harder than Vitali [Klitschko].”
Russian citizen Johnson elaborated to Sports Express.
“Alex Leapai from Australia. Alex Leapai is the physically strongest boxer I have ever met in my life.
“Not only in a fight – I went back to Australia later, lived there for a while, and we sparred together every day. He is powerful.”
Leapai challenged once for the unified world heavyweight titles against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014, losing by TKO in the fifth round. That hard-hitting Aussie had been stopped by Johnson two years earlier.
He kicked off his career with two wins, two losses and two draws in his first six bouts, but would find a run of form and eventually hang up the gloves with 31 wins, 25 by knockouts and eight losses.
Dubois returns to action on February 22, defending his world title against Joseph Parker.
