DANIEL DUBOIS can stalk the heavyweight world champions next year if he ends 2019 with a bang.
Greenwich’s powerhouse fighter, 22, is facing Kyotaro Fujimoto at London’s Copper Box Arena tonight.
Heavyweight prospect Damiel Dubois faces Kyotaro Fujimoto at the Copper Box ArenaCredit: Reuters
Dubois aims to snatch the WBC silver belt, WBO international strap and his Japanese rival’s high WBA ranking.
And the Brit is in a serious hurry for his big chance, explaining: “There could be a world title shot at the end of the year, so time cannot be wasted.
“I’m young but have been in the game for so long that I feel like a veteran.”
Tyson Fury and WBC boss Deontay Wilder are expected to fight each other in February and the summer.
Unified champ Anthony Joshua also faces mandatory defences against Kubrat Pulev and Oleksandr Usyk — buying Dubois time to climb up the rankings.
So with veterans Alexander Povetkin and Luis Ortiz, both 40, sliding down the ratings, DDD aims to leapfrog them into a mandatory position.
And he hopes that would leave all the potential belt-holders with nowhere to hide from him.
Dubois could target a fight against unified heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua in 2020Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
There could be a world title shot at the end of the year, so time cannot be wasted.”
Daniel Dubois
Promoter Frank Warren explained: “Daniel is a cut above all the youngsters around and if he comes through this latest test, he will secure a good ranking with the WBA.
“He can also win the WBC silver belt, which could put him in their top three, and the WBO international.
“While all the champions are busy duking it out between themselves, they will all be tied up for a year. So we will get Daniel into a No 1 mandatory position with one of the sanctioning bodies.
“Once the dust settles between Tyson and Wilder, and AJ and his mandatories, and we know who the champions are, we can say: ‘We want that fight’.
“We won’t give them the option to duck us — if Daniel is mandatory they will have to fight us.”
British heavyweight legends Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno have urged their protege Dubois to take his time to develop as a heavyweight.
Tyson Fury is also another potential contender for Dubois next yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The pair argue that they did not hit their prime until later in life having amassed plenty of experience.
But the no-nonsense Peacock Gym prodigy is looking at another idol for inspiration to become the world’s best.
Dubois, who can claim his 14th pro win tonight against Fujimoto, said: “Mike Tyson had a world title at 20. So if you are ready, then you just get on with it.”
Incredibly for Daniel, there is an argument he is not even the best young fighter in his freakishly talented family.
Southpaw sister Caroline, 18, has just won BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award for 2019.
She also ends the year 40-0 and with high hopes of landing gold at next summer’s Tokyo Olympics.
And big bro joked: “She has the bragging rights around the Christmas dinner table this year.
“This year was big for me — but it was massive for her. I didn’t even really know too much about her getting the award until she came home with it. She just popped out and quietly came back with the trophy.
“We were all ecstatic for her and I have two other younger brothers, Prince and Soloman, who are also training. We just all want to do big things in world boxing.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
