Martin Bowers: It would be muggy for the Daniel Dubois camp to overlook Nathan Gorman

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

The build-up to Daniel Dubois’s clash with Nathan Gorman next week has seen no trash talking or headline-grabbing bad antics – and that is exactly the way it should be according to Martin Bowers.

He has trained Greenwich heavyweight Dubois since he signed a long-term professional deal with promoter Frank Warren in January 2017.

And the hype surrounding the heavy-handed South Londoner will go into overdrive if he beats Nantwich’s Gorman on July 13 to claim the vacant British title.

Dubois – nicknamed Dynamite – will be on home turf at the 02 Arena and is the betting favourite to win a meeting of two unbeaten fighters.

But Bowers told the South London Press he is not making plans beyond the middle of this month.

“This is a very dangerous fight,” he said. “Call me after the 13th about anything else. That would be muggy on us if we did look ahead.

“Nathan is 22 years old and an ambitious, hungry and unbeaten fighter. To look past him would be really silly.

“We’ll see on July 13 if we have the real deal on our hands. I believe we have and I’ve got faith in him. But I take nothing away from Nathan – he is coming to win.

“This is the acid test for both boys. I’m rooting for Dan and think he will win but it won’t be easy. The person who wins can go on and achieve a lot. But the person who loses won’t be written off because they had the balls to take this fight and can walk away with their head held high.

“Win, lose or draw these boys deserve maximum respect. They could have swerved this. They are two of the best young boys out there.

“They could have kept calling each other out and not fought each other. Nathan called us out a little bit, but no trouble. It’s just because he thinks he can win the fight. They have both conducted themselves well.

“Another nice trait is that there has been no bad talking or bad blood. I think that is really good and the way forward. I hope a lot pick up the mantle and do the same thing as these two.”

Bowers also doesn’t believe it is right to talk about how far Dubois has progressed since exiting the amateur game, where he had been on the Great Britain squad.

He won the WBC youth title in his fourth bout, caved in AJ Carter straight after that to win the Southern Area before knocking out Tom Little in five rounds for the British in mid-2018.

Dubois sparked Razvan Cojanu in March to add the WBO European strap to his burgeoning collection of honours.

“If I was a spectator I would be looking in thinking Daniel is an improving and progressive fighter,” said Bowers.

“Every time he has boxed the opponent has been better than that last opponent.

“And we have had great sparring, we’ve sparred everyone we can and that includes going to Russia. We tried to go to New York to spar Jarrell Miller but that fell through, which was a shame.

“We also tried to go to Canada to face the boy [Oscar Rivas] facing Dillian Whyte.

“The sparring we have got has helped him improve as much as anything else and I think it will show in this fight.

“But for me to say he is getting better every fight would sound like I am blowing my own trumpet.”
Only highly-experienced American Kevin Johnson has lasted the 10-round distance with Dubois.

“He just wanted to survive and made a poor fight of it,” said Bowers. “It was good for us to get 10 rounds under the lights and Daniel didn’t rush anything. He stuck to his gameplan.

“We got to see another side of him, a bit of patience and maturity. I was quite pleased with him but I wasn’t pleased with Kevin – he should’ve put a little more into it.

“I remember when Jumbo Cummings came over and boxed Frank Bruno, and Frank nearly came unstuck when he lost concentration. Then he came unstuck against Bonecrusher Smith.”

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn claimed recently that Tom Schwarz – knocked out in two rounds by Tyson Fury last month – would struggle to win the British title.

“That is unfair to say,” said Bowers. “He boxed in Vegas for a world title – he was at that level, so why take it away from the man?

“I’m a bit disappointed in Eddie. He should have a little respect for the fighter.

“The only people he thinks are good are the people his fighters’ fight.”