London trainer Don Charles has welcomed the opportunity to work with heavyweight Daniel Dubois after the “regular” WBA champion and coach Shane McGuigan parted ways.
McGuigan will still train Dubois’ sister, Caroline, but a reported Dubois family issue means that Daniel is on the move.
Charles, who is perhaps best known for his work with perennial heavyweight contender Derek Chisora, is pleased to have added Dubois to his ranks.
“Obviously I’m very happy and excited to have inherited a fighter of his level. I don’t often get given that by any promoter, but nevertheless, he’s found his way to me and I believe I’m going to add to what he already brings to the table, and he brings a lot to the table already.”
Dubois had been with McGuigan since the only loss of his career, to Joe Joyce, and the pair has had four fights together. Previously, Dubois was being trained by Martin Bowers, who still manages him.
In the four fights with McGuigan, Dubois won the WBA belt stopping Trevor Bryan but last December tore his ACL in a tougher-then-expected battle with South Africa’s Kevin Lerena.
Charles did guide Chisora to British and European title wins and he was training the London veteran when he was initially due to face Wladimir Klitschko, before Wlad withdrew at short notice, and Charles was in the corner when Chisora fought 12 hard and competitive rounds with Vitali Klitschko.
This week, the WBA announced that a purse bid will take place on May 25 in Houston, Texas, in a bid to match Dubois with their full champion Oleksandr Usyk, who is linked to fights with the likes of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury later in the year. Champion Usyk will pocket 75 per cent of a winning purse bid, while challenger Dubois will earn the remaining 25.
Charles now hopes Dubois, 19-1 with 18 stoppages, can interrupt any such plans and rates the 25-year-old Dubois highly.
“He’s a very well-schooled, high-level operator and I’m going to add what is needed to take him across the line, especially with the daunting task ahead,” said Charles of his new heavyweight. “I don’t have it easy, ever. It would have been nice to have had a fight prior to going to face someone like the masterful boxer that is Usyk, but nevertheless, it is what it is. “It’s reminiscent of when Dereck was appointed to fight Wladimir Klitschko, who pulled out, and then Vitali Klitschko… So it’s a daunting affair, but I’m always up for a challenge and I’m going to do my upmost to aid Daniel to try and do what is deemed the impossible to many. But to me my attitude is always this man is a human and he breathes oxygen, therefore we can do what we can do, the best we can do to try and dethrone him.”
