Frank Warren hopes Daniel Dubois’ newfound confidence will shine through when the heavyweight title holder faces Filip Hrgovic.
The two will meet in Saudi Arabia on June 1 as part of the Queensberry vs. 5-on-5 tournament room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The IBF heavyweight championship may also be in trouble.
Dubois’ ability has never been doubted, but it takes more than talent to reach the top of the heavyweight division. If titles were awarded based on athleticism and genetics, boxers like Bailey Reed, Michael Grant, and Seth Mitchell would be knocking on the door of the Hall of Fame.
The 26-year-old Dubois, who lost his unbeaten streak to Joe Joyce after the first half of his career, decided to have the knee removed when the pain became too much. eye contact. Then, perhaps inexplicably, he let the window of opportunity close and put himself on the sidelines when he submitted one-time heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk after a close bout.
It all happened in December when DuBois faced off against Jarrell Miller. After a strong start, Dubois seemed to be starting to gain strength from the punching point and was able to keep his 333-pound opponent at bay. But he found himself able to overcome fatigue and self-doubt, speed up the final stages of the race and hold off Miller in the final lap.
We need this new mentality to confront Dubois’ opponent. Hrgovic, the confident and invincible Croatian, was quick to remind Dubois of how the pair used to be, and when the first bell sounded in Riyadh, he was eager to evoke those memories.
Frank Warren Hopes True Grit Carries Daniel Dubois to Win Over Filip Hrgovic https://t.co/xolp0l65pE
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 27, 2024
Warren believes Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) will beat Hlgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) if the decision he showed against Miller is a real contest now.
“He’s got everything, DuBois,” Warren told BoxingScene. -One of the things people ask for is true courage. He showed it last time, and in fact, he showed it to Kevin Lerena when his leg was injured. He showed some ability to get back into the game.
– If he can show confidence, I think he will win this fight. It is up to him to decide, act, govern, and exercise his authority.
As Warren spoke, a pattern emerged. As a true boxer, Dubois used a wire pole for his jab, combined with a powerful right hand, and he was compared to Frank Bruno by many. Bruno is also known as a mistake boxer, who often misses on his biggest nights.
In 1995, Bruno lost in his third attempt at the heavyweight title, and fulfilled his pre-fight plan. He used his body and strength to take down WBC champion Oliver McCall, then relied on heart, grit and attitude to survive the final round and eventually become a world champion. .
“Bruno doesn’t have a bad jaw,” Warren said. – He was arrested, his hands fell to his sides, as if not in the text. When he won the match against Oliver McCall, George Francis and I went out to watch [McCall] play Larry Holmes. Larry had moved on by then, but he was one of my favorite fighters and he used the jab.
I said to George, “Frank fought well. Keep up the speed and use the jab. The next turn, he had to walk up to her. Don’t do what he did before, and he’ll be taken away. McCall’s internal battle isn’t very important, so walk up to him.
Bruno’s weaknesses are physical, but the analogy holds. For McCall, it was the clever Bruno who put things together. If Dubois can combine his unstoppable nature with the mental toughness and confidence he has proven, Warren believes he can beat Hrgovic. “He’s a hard hitter, he can hit, he’s got to work hard,” Warren said of Dubois. – Good chin – even if Usyk blocked it. He might have been upset about what happened to the ref that night, but he wasn’t. The important thing is to be persistent and get the job done.
