Daniel Dubois faces Filip Hrgovic this week, looking to further put to bed any questions about his heart in the heavyweight game.
The 26-year-old lost out to Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk in his previous world efforts, but bounced back late last year with a determined stoppage victory over controversial American heavyweight Jarrell Miller.
Now he faces IBF mandatory challenger Hrgovic, with a win putting him in pole position for a second title shot in the near future. It’s something Billy Nelson, trainer of Martin Bakole, believes won’t happen.
He told Seconds Out that the undefeated Croatian has already ‘psychologically ruined’ a ‘mentally weak’ Dubois.
“Filip Hrgovic has psychologically ruined Daniel. I think he’ll stop him, and comfortably. Most definitely [the psychological aspect is crucial] because Daniel is weak in that respect.”
Hrgovic has cast up old sparring stories with the Brit, claiming he put such a beating on him that he ended up in hospital. Dubois has also alluded to the sparring sessions, but warned Hrgovic that he’s a different animal now.
For Nelson’s money, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois hasn’t improved, even despite many feeling the Miller performance showed promise.
“Miller nearly stopped him in round five or six, and Usyk beat him in every single round. Every single minute of every single round, and then dropped him and he stayed down again. So where’s the resilience?
Miller’s a 23 stone man. He’s blowing out his a**e after five, six rounds. The guy could barely hold his hands up past seven rounds. Come on, let’s get in the real world.
I’m not trying to belittle Daniel. I just don’t think he’s a world class fighter.”
The pair battle it out as part of the Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn 5 vs 5 concept in Saudi Arabia on June 1, with Hrgovic representing team Hearn and Dubois competing for Warren live on DAZN.
