BOXING prospect John Hedges once begged Daniel Dubois to call off a sparring session after landing an accidental blow.
The cruiserweight was body sparring – meaning no face shots were allowed – at trainer Mark Tibbs’ gym.
But Hedges was given a fright when of his punches strayed too high and hit Dubois upstairs.
Hedges, 22, told Boxing Social: “Me and him got on really well to be honest with you – we trained together for about three months.
“We were training down at Newlands at the time, still under the Tibbs banner and it was just one of them things. It’s a freak accident.
“Sometimes, being scared – and I’ll be honest with you, I was scared – I’m trying to defend myself and he’s a big man.
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“Believe it or not, even if you duck to hit him his head’s still there. He’s got a big head on him and Joshua will know that when he gets in the ring with him.
“But I accidentally hit him on the way out to defend myself and I had to try and call the spar off but it carried on.
“I was going ‘Daniel please, I didn’t mean to, no malice in it’ but it’s one of them ones.”
Thankfully for Hedges, that day Dubois was feeling forgirveful.
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Joshua vs Dubois fight predictions
THIS weekend Wembley will witness one of the biggest all-British fights of all-time.
But who will emerge victorious under the famous arch? Some of the biggest names in boxing have been having their say…
Oleksandr Usyk: “My favourite is Anthony Joshua but I am very bad at predictions. But I will predict Anthony Joshua.”
Dillian Whyte: “I just think that it’s one of those fights where it is a genuine 50/50 fight in my opinion.”
Joe Joyce: “I was initially edging with Joshua but I don’t know, Dubois is coming on.”
Frazer Clarke: “As heavy-handed as Dubois is and as good a fighter as he’s becoming, I still have to go for Joshua.”
Francis Ngannou: “Even though Joshua lost against Usyk twice and Dubois fought Usyk and almost knocked him down and almost won, I would still give this to Joshua.”
Click here for more fight predictions for Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois
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Hedges, who is 10-0, said: “It’s boxing and Daniel’s a gentleman, he’s a very good man.
“And it was nice just to get the rounds in – I just wanted the experience. I think I was a super-middleweight at the time it’s crazy.”
Dubois, 27, will not be so forgiving on Saturday night when he defends his IBF title against Anthony Joshua, 34, at Wembley.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
