After his sensational victory, the man known as Dynamite embraced his dad, Dave, who has led him on a tough training regime from early childhood
As Daniel Dubois beat Anthony Joshua on Saturday in a huge night for British boxing, many of those watching may not have been aware the winner had been earmarked for glory when he was quite so small.
After his sensational victory, the man known as Dynamite embraced his dad, Dave, who has led him on a tough training regime from early childhood.
The approach was so successful that Daniel beat the world record for the most push-ups by a five-year-old.
But along with all the training – including running endless laps of the estate where they lived – there were also concerns and a visit from the police.
As 6ft 5in 17st 10lb Daniel, 27, and his dad hugged on Saturday night in the bowels of Wembley Stadium after the heavyweight world title fight, Dave told him: “You’ve done it, brother.”
A single dad-of-11, Dave – also known as Stan – was a market trader in Camden, North West London, but had bigger plans for his kids.
Daniel, who was home-schooled on a council estate in Greenwich, South East London, revealed how his dad used to make him and his siblings run for miles. Daniel also said he did so many push-ups he had visible scars.
On one occasion the police – who were worried the children were being forced to run against their will – paid the family a visit.
To instil a tough mindset, Dave said he sometimes even refused to feed Daniel until he had finished the gruelling workouts.
In a recent interview, Dave told the Sunday Times: “That’s why he’s so powerful.
“I wanted to strengthen his mind because boxing is a hard sport. Not anyone can do it. I did that for years with him in the mornings.” While Daniel said: “My dad put a lot of work into me, so I got the full brunt of the force. He’s not crazy strict, just disciplined.”
Daniel was about seven when he was taken to the acclaimed Peacock Gym in Canning Town, East London, which has hosted world boxing champions including Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno. Daniel trained at various boxing clubs as a lad including Dale Youth whose other world champs include James DeGale.
Daniel has spoken about being inspired aged 10 in 2008 when DeGale, who is 11 years older than him, took gold at the Olympics.
By the time Daniel was a teenager his dad’s controversial methods began to raise eyebrows with coaches.
Dale Youth head coach Mick Delaney recalled Dave taking his then 16-year-old son to spar with heavyweight professional Derek Chisora, 14 years Daniel’s senior.
Mick – who intervened before Daniel got in the ring with Chisora, who had already been British and Commonwealth heavyweight champ by that point – said he told Daniel: “This is a joke, you’re just a kid.”
Three years later Daniel went pro, and the quiet lad made the 96,000-strong crowd roar at Wembley on Saturday with a fifth-round knockout of fellow British star Joshua, 34.
Joshua, a two-time world champ, was the strong favourite. Daniel received a purse of £3.4million for the fight, with his total earnings possibly reaching £9.6m based on pay per view numbers.
The victory in London meant he retained his IBF title which he was handed in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. Daniel celebrated Saturday’s win with family members including little brother Solomon who also hopes to win a world title.
Their dad’s training methods have also produced a top boxer in their sister Caroline, 23, the interim WBC women’s world lightweight champ. The family trace their skills back to ancestor Sylvia Dubois, a bare-knuckle fighter who was a slave in the 1800s.
Dave said: “She got abused by the slave master and one day she beat him up. Instead of lynching her, they gave her her freedom. That fighting spirit is in the DNA.”
He became a dad aged 16, and told how he had learnt a lot about fatherhood by the time Daniel was born.
Dave said: “I’ve always liked boxing because it shapes your character. With Daniel I thought even before he was born, ‘He’s going to be a world champ’.”
