Homeschooled Daniel Dubois thrives on ‘daddy's boy' jibes as Brit bruiser vows to beat down big bully Oleksandr Usyk
The 27-year-old IBF heavyweight champ was homeschooled by giant father-of-
ELEVEN
Stan — who is also dad to WBC lightweight queen
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Daniel Dubois' dad, Stan, would make the boxer do press-ups on his knuckles until he bled
Credit: Getty
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Stan Dubois, middle, has raised a family of boxing stars, including Daniel and Caroline
Credit: Getty
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Dubois takes on Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday night's rematch
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And until recently passing his driving test, the 6ft 5in, 17st powerhouse was still being chauffeured and chaperoned to training by the super-parent.
Critics and doubters of
Since his last encounter with
But ahead of Saturday night's clash with Usyk the maturing man-mountain reckons taking orders from his parent is a strength not a weakness.
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He said about wanting to impress pops: 'I still feel that way most of the time. Especially when I am in the gym.
'I am like a little boy because I do whatever everyone tells me to do — that includes all of my coaches. And that makes me a good student.'
Stan Dubois would tell his school-age son to start a press-up session — on his bare knuckles — and he would not stop until his hands split and bled.
Peacock Gym trainer Martin Bowers guided the first 16 fights of the wonderkid's career, then Shane McGuigan helped harness and improve the freakish power for a handful of wins, before Don Charles got the job in 2023.
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The respected and experienced coaches all added to and improved Dynamite Dan but he still sees the paternal bond as far more powerful than any teacher-student agreement.
He explained: 'All the basic groundwork my dad did with me — and all my siblings — when we were little is going to give me the athletic edge over my opponents.
I sparred Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora and Filip Hrgovic and no one hit as hard as Daniel Dubois
'I work hard at it every day and it's all about repetition, repetition, repetition.
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'When we have success, it makes me feel better about all the time we have spent practising over the years.'
Kieran Farrell is the most recent addition to Team Dubois, joining last year. The Manchester padman and former lightweight, 35, has formed an unlikely bond with the giant Londoner.
He recognises the power and inspiration Dubois takes from having dad in his gym, his corner — and his ear.
Farrell told SunSport: 'I always remember an old quote: 'A father's disappointment is a very powerful tool.'
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'I know from myself and my own career. I can still remember being in a sparring session and my dad shouting at me. I can still remember the disappointment in his voice — and it made me knuckle down.
'So I know it is a real thing and I know it does work for Daniel.'
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USYK VS DUBOIS 2: Stream, TV channel and undercard info for blockbuster Wembley fight
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No-nonsense Charles, who was a Biafran child soldier in the 1960s civil war in Nigeria, has a more rigid read on the father-son relationship.
He insisted: 'Dan's dad is a very strict father. Just like my father was.
'Whether you are from the Caribbean or Africa, one thing we have in common is that black parents are very strict and we have a very strict upbringing.
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'Daniel has a disciplined background from his father — and he has used boxing to occupy his children.
'He can't be doing bad because he has a world champion son and daughter.'
Before Dubois demolished AJ last September in the same Wembley ring as tonight's chess match, he laid down a marker in the very first build-up face-off.
When London 2012 legend Joshua took offence to a Dubois comment, he stood up and threatened to smash a chair over his head.
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The security-heavy mob dived in but Dubois repeated one single sentence: 'You can't intimidate me.'
It felt like a landmark moment in their rivalry and — when he laid waste to Joshua's chin and his hopes of a third world title run in the fifth — it proved to be ruthlessly true.
But the underdog knows he cannot get that same psychological edge over 38-year-old maverick Usyk.
At the Pug Gym in Borehamwood he told us: 'Usyk is a bit of a different cat.
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'He can switch off whenever he wants to and revert to his own language.
'That moment with AJ happened right at the beginning of our promotion, it was from the very first launch press conference. There was a very different feel to that fight than this one.'
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Until recently, Dubois was chauffeured and chaperoned to training by his dad
Credit: Getty
Usyk vs Dubois 2 - All the info
OLEKSANDR USYK and Daniel Dubois meet again in a blockbuster heavyweight unification fight at Wembley Stadium THIS SATURDAY!
Usyk won the first fight in August 2023 via a ninth round KO - but only after Dubois knocked him to the canvas with a body blow that was ruled a low blow.
Dubois, 27, has improved massively since that first meeting, reeling off stunning wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the big fight...
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Dubois walked into Wembley ten months ago as the unfancied contender — and left as the bona fide belt-holder and the new people's champion.
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It was similar to the 2023 clash with Usyk, when he went to the Ukrainian's adopted home of Wroclaw, Poland.
He had barely any support but lasted nine rounds before being physically and mentally broken down by Usyk's brilliance.
Tonight he will be the local legend — with 80,000 Brits roaring him on — and have all of his home comforts.
He admitted: 'The crowd will make a big difference. Having a home crowd behind you is always good.
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'But so is training in your own gym and sleeping in your own bed the night before the fight.
'That short, familiar journey from your home to the fight makes things easier.'
For a decade, Dubois has been a tough man to interview — his face would sink when he saw us and our dictaphones at the gym.
His upbringing has made him drastically different to the British superstars and showmen, deep-thinkers, Travellers, extroverts and trash-talkers who have grabbed our attention and headlines.
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But thanks to a fantastic run of form, a licence to drive and to thrill, he seems happier and more open.
Charles summed it up best when he said: 'Dan has matured, he has blossomed like a flower.'
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