Frank Warren: Of course Daniel Dubois will be back – he’s a boxing baby

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Frank Warren is adamant that Daniel Dubois will be back – despite the Greenwich heavyweight’s meteoric rise ending at the hands of Joe Joyce on Saturday.

The South Londoner was halted in the 10th round of their clash at the weekend.

Dubois’ left eye was completely shut and a Joyce jab made him drop to one knee and be counted out.

The previously unbeaten puncher was taken to hospital with claims he had suffered serious damage to the socket.

Warren promotes and manages Dubois, who had been hoping a win over Joyce would propel him into a potential clash for the WBO world title if Anthony Joshua opted to vacate rather than face mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk.

“He had a terrible eye injury,” Warren told iFL TV.

“Joe did a good job. I said before the fight it was going to be a battle of the jabs. I fancied Daniel to win it.

“Two of the judges had Daniel winning. I had it very close going into that round. I’m told that one judge gave it to Daniel by seven or eight, the other judge had Daniel up two rounds and the other had Joe up by two rounds. There’s no way he won eight rounds [like one judge had it].”

“I thought those last three rounds were going to be a little bit special. It was a great fight while it lasted.

“I think Martin [Bowers, Dubois’ trainer] would have pulled him out at the end of that round because he couldn’t see out of it at all.”

Dubois had chewed up a string of opponents to move his record to 15-0 and claim the British and Commonwealth belts. Both were on the line against Joyce.

“Of course he’ll be back,” said Warren. “He’s a baby. I said to Joe: ‘What were you doing at 22?’. He was still an amateur. What was AJ doing at that age? He was still an amateur. He’s turned pro very young. If that eye injury wasn’t there it could’ve been a different fight.

“I’m not saying he’d have won it or not – but it hampered his vision. You cannot take anything away from Joe Joyce, he did a good job.

“Joe will be out next year and we’ll be looking for big fights for him, probably in April, and Daniel as well.

“The shame is that it would’ve been an even better fight if a crowd had been there.”

“The main event was superb. What a rematch it would make. Why wouldn’t those two guys want to get it on again?”