DANIEL DUBOIS is the quiet heavyweight nicknamed Dynamite who comes from a family of boxers including Olympic hopefuls.
Dubois faces Joe Joyce on Saturday in the biggest and toughest test in his 15-fight unbeaten career.
But the 23-year-old – who was born in Greenwhich – has dedicated his whole life to the sport, leading up to his shot at the European title.
He first joined the boxing gym aged nine as his dad Dave wanted him off the mean streets of South London.
Ever since, for him and his fighting siblings Caroline, Prince and Solomon, it has been a family affair.
Dubois spent the summer in lockdown with his two brothers and sister, as they trained in his new home in Hertfordshire.
And he revealed 19-year-old Caroline – who has hoping to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics next year – acted as the head trainer.
Dubois told SunSport: “Caroline takes the training sessions every day, she enjoys picking the exercises and circuits more than I do.
“She has our youngest brother Solomon acting like the teacher’s assistant so there is no slacking.”
Dubois has helped his little sister in her career ever since she first started boxing as a nine-year-old.
There, Caroline fought under the boy’s name Colin to ensure she could share the ring with the boys.
She said: “It feels a bit crazy looking back on it now, considering where I have got to, but back then ‘Colin’ seemed like the only way to start my dream.
“Boxing clubs in those days were not interested in girls so my dad and Daniel, after some convincing, let me come up with the plan.
“Me and Daniel just had to remember our lines every time we went in the gym.
“He denies it was his plan but he did a lot to help me get started. I had short hair and kept quiet, so it was OK.”
As Caroline waits to see if the Olympic Games will go ahead next year before deciding whether to turn pro, Daniel’s career is only heading in one direction.
He has been taken the distance just once, with his power proving too hot to handle.
Dubois made his debut in 2017 at 18, having had just seven senior amateur bouts, despite starring as a youth boxer in Team GB.
But he rejected the chance to contest for a spot in Tokyo to instead take his heavy-hands into the paid ranks.
His biggest win to date was a fifth round knockout against former sparring partner and amateur team-mate Nathan Gorman.
Since the win last year, the youngster has three more knockouts to his name.
But his most recent, against Ricardo Snijders in August, came a tune-up ahead of his headliner against Joyce on the weekend.
The pair – who also sparred in Team GB’s Sheffield HQ – were due to fight in April on pay-per-view.
But amid the coronavirus pandemic, it caused constant delay and even threatened to KO the clash entirely.
Until Dubois and 35-year-old Joyce agreed to fight behind-closed-doors and on normal TV, as they were given the credit they deserved and a new date.
The winner will emerge as the British, Commonwealth and European champion, and elevate themselves into world title contention.
Dubois is already the No2 ranked challenger in the WBO, behind Anthony Joshua’s mandatory Oleksandr Usyk.
And even though he remains tight-lipped, the punching prodigy is confident his fists will do the talking and put him in line to ‘take over’ the division.
Dubois told us: “It may not have come across but I am ferociously confident in my ability because of the work done in the gym.
“I was a boy among men when I sparred on the GB team, I am a baby in terms of experience now in the pro game but don’t mistake my quietness for self doubt.
“I’m not even that quiet or shy, you can’t afford to be when you are one of ten siblings and want to get fed.
“But when it comes to boxing my approach has been strictly business.
“Beating Nathan Gorman for the British title – in a fight a lot of people thought was going to be 50-50 – just confirmed what I already knew about my potential.
“And seeing older targets and potential opponents lose – in very good and hard fights – only makes me more confident I can take over soon.”
