Daniel Dubois... 4.0? Inside the latest comeback from an unpredictable star

So, Wardley is king of the micro comeback, Dubois of the macro, perhaps.

“Think about it: he’s always come back stronger after defeats,” says the aptly-named Mohammed Ali, Dubois’s head of boxing performance analysis. “It’s in his DNA, you’ve either got it or you don’t,” he adds – a twist on the narrative that Dubois’s make-up is not actually that of a survivor during tough fights.

Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in 2024 to retain the IBF heavyweight title (PA Wire)

Ali even references Dubois’s ancestry and the link to Sylvia Dubois, an African-American slave in the 19th century, who earned her freedom as a bare-knuckle boxer. “People criticise certain things about Daniel, but they don’t realise his mindset, resilience and durability. That’s just hardlined.”

This brings us to David Haye, whose durability failed him in his final two bouts – back-to-back stoppages by Tony Bellew – in spite of his mindset. “Boxing fans are harsh,” says the Briton, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. “The fact that I fought with one leg against Bellew... only after I got battered did the purists finally say: ‘Okay, I accept you as a real fighter.’”

While Haye agrees with Ali, saying fighting spirit “cannot be taught, it comes from within”, he refuses to take a definitive stance on Dubois. “You should never judge someone until their career is said and done,” Haye says. “Over time, [that heart] may develop. Sometimes fighters quit or take a knee, and off the strength of the heat from their peers, they’ll never do it again.”

Dubois took a knee against Joyce and then in his first fight with Usyk, for what you feel that’s worth. In any case, I ask Dubois himself whether his first loss to Usyk helped him deal with defeat in their rematch.

Initially struggling to find the right words, he ultimately says: “No, it was just... I think... I look at it like: I shared the ring with a top, top southpaw, top heavyweight, the best of this generation, so I brushed that over me a long time ago. I’m a new fighter now, a new man.”

Dubois suffered a second stoppage defeat by Oleksandr Usyk last July, at Wembley Stadium (PA Wire)

Ali echoes the sentiment: “That’s in the past. Usyk is an all-time great. When he leaves the sport, his name will be recognised 10-20 years down the line.”

Still, Dubois’s promoter Frank Warren (who also promotes Wardley) doesn’t dismiss the relevance of last summer’s loss to Usyk. “You’ve got to learn from it!” he says. “And he’s very good at that. I think he’s matured a lot physically as he’s got older, but he’s certainly maturing now mentally as far as reading a fight.”

However, Warren also hints at a controversy from that fight week, while trying not to hint at it. “I don’t want to go into what happened behind the scenes and getting there a little bit late,” he says, “because there’s no excuses. What happens, happens on the night.”

Warren, 74, is referencing a pre-fight gathering at Dubois’s family home on the day of the bout. It was referred to by some as a party, and although Dubois’s trainer Don Charles dismissed that label, the consensus from outside observers was that it must have been a distraction.

Charles did not attend the gathering, nor did he try to “justify” it. He said in the days afterwards: “My duty on the training team is to make sure there’s no confusion. This is Wembley we’re talking about; we had to go to the dressing room and make sure everything is intact.”

Coach Don Charles (right) has proven a huge positive in Dubois’s career (Getty)

Within a few weeks, in a shocking development, Charles and Dubois had split. Although the veteran coach had twice failed to mastermind a win over Usyk, he had overseen the finest spell of Dubois’s career. Rumours swirled about the involvement of Dubois’s father, Stan, and whether it was helpful.

But Dubois and Charles reunited in January, after the heavyweight briefly trained under Tony Sims.

“Tony is a magnificent coach,” says Ali. “I work with Conor Benn as well [like Sims], so I adore and respect Tony. He’s one of the best coaches in the country, as is Don. But Tony said it himself: there’s a certain connection that fighters have with a coach, and Don has got that with Daniel. You know who his ‘real’ coach is. Sometimes it goes like that, like Manny Pacquiao with Freddie Roach or Andre Ward with Virgil Hunter.”

Whether or not their connection is comparable to those of the great duos above, Dubois and Charles are still seeking the same success. A second world title is within reach on Saturday.

David Haye was speaking ahead of his exclusive appearance at Paddy’s Sportsbook at The Hippodrome Casino, for Wardley vs Dubois on 9 May.