Dubois family are a force – in professional and amateur boxing 

By Richard Cawley

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Daniel Dubois is creating waves in the heavyweight division – but he is not the only boxer from his family marking themselves out as a special talent.

His younger sister Caroline, 17 won the National Youth Championships for a fourth time last weekend.

The South London lightweight has won all 26 of here amateur bouts and is ranked number one in Europe.

She will look to win the European Youth Championships for a third time when it is held in Italy in April. But also firmly on the horizon is boxing for GB at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October. There is a chance of making it a hat-trick of major competitions with the AIBA Youth World Championships in August.

Caroline took up the sport at the age of nine, inspired by watching her big brother’s exploits for Repton.

“I feel really happy to be national champion again,” she said. “I’ve been working very hard for this all year. I’ve put in a lot of work, so it is a relief it has paid off.

“I saw my brother bringing home medals and getting inspired, I wanted to try it myself.

“This year I’m going to step up to the world level and I want to bring home medals. A gold one would be amazing. I want to show how good I am on a world stage.

“Whenever I perform I feel like I can do better. I watch to see what I did wrong and right. I always feel there is more I can bring out but that only comes with even more experience.”

Her longer-term aim is the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“If I win any medal at the Youth Olympics I’ve been told I would get a spot on the [GB] podium squad. Then you start training on a world-class programme. From that point you are seen as a potential winner of it.

“I look up to Claressa Shields, an American boxer. She went to the Olympics twice, the first time she was 17. If I go to the 2020 one then I’ll be older – 19.

“But to see where she got to is very inspiring. I also admire other female boxers like Katie Taylor and Nicola Adams.”

Dad David – who also has a 13-year-old son Prince who is going into the schoolboys section this year – said: “I think she was go all the way and get a gold medal at the Olympics. She has got to improve certain aspects here and there.”

Daniel will move to 7-0 in the paid ranks if he successfully defends his Southern Area heavyweight title against DL Jones on Saturday night at York Hall.

He has boxed just nine rounds since his professional debut in April 2017, with opponents struggling to live with his power.

Asked if his son’s progress had been flawless so far, David said: “I suppose you would say that. It is just hard getting sparring for him. No-one wants to really spar him and is charging so much money. They want £500. I guess you want to get paid well for black eyes and busted ribs.

“I think the plan is to fight for the British title before the end of the year. I don’t get too involved in that side of things. I hope and pray they know what they are doing and don’t move him too quickly. He needs to learn and develop as he goes along.

“You don’t want to rush him along. We all saw what happened to Chris Eubank Junior at the weekend. You need to learn the game and do it the right way, so that when you get to the top you stay there for a little time.”

One potential fight is Clapham-based Joe Joyce. The former Olympian also turned professional last year but he is being fast-tracked due to his age – 32. His promoter David Haye is looking to match the former Earlsfied ABC man with Dereck Chisora on May 5 as part of the undercard to The Hayemaker’s rematch with Tony Bellew.

“I wouldn’t want Daniel to fight him now,” said David. “If you build these fights right they can be massive. You can be getting million-pound paydays instead of £60,000 or £70,000. You have got to build them right.

“Joe is a silver medallist and a big man compared to my son, who has only just turned 20.

“David would have that fight but I think it needs to be another 12 or 18 months when both are big names and they are the main event.”