I'LL LET MY OPPONENT DO THE TALKING
Fighter Diary by Daniel Dubois
With his next fight looming at the Copper Box on September 16, in the latest of our exclusive weekly diary columns by the fighters, WBC Youth World champion Daniel Dubois looks back on his first title win and ahead to his challenge for the Southern Area title against AJ Carter
IT IS NOW just over a fortnight until I get in the ring for the fifth time as a professional, fighting for a second title.
The more experienced AJ Carter will be in the opposite corner and the Southern Area title will be at stake at the Copper Box on September 16.
Carter’s eight wins include six KOs and a few people have suggested he might try and put it on me early in the fight – and maybe even at the pre-fight press conference.
Talking too much is not really my thing, so I will let him get on with that if he wants to. I don’t think any of it will work, but he can try. At the end of the day, we’ve got to get in the ring and nobody can help you when we are in there.
For me it will just be about getting the job done and moving onto the next one. I will be doing my utmost to get him out of there quickly.
People talk about getting the rounds in, but if I can finish a fight in the first minute, I will. It doesn’t bother me and so much the better. It is about minimising the risks that come with boxing and it shows I have executed my job correctly.
It was the same when I fought Mauricio Barragan in my last fight. He was a late replacement and came in with a strong 15-1 record.
A change of opponent is never ideal but for me it was a case of ‘get on with it’ and ‘let’s not hang around’ because most important to me was getting a fight and getting put on the show.
It is about progressing my career and moving forward towards the ultimate goal of being a world champion.
A lot of people dismissed the threat of Barragan because of the weight difference between us but it presented a new challenge for me to adapt to.
Lighter opponents are more mobile and it can be more awkward, some of them are quicker and, if you don’t get it right, sometimes it can create different problems.
Obviously I trained very hard for whoever I was going to fight that night so I was prepared anyway.
With him being a more mobile target it was important to catch him early and slow him down, which I did, but to be honest I probably should’ve finished it quicker, but I took my time and got him out of there in the second.
Looking back on it I can see a few things that I need to work on. I didn’t do much wrong, but maybe I should have put more into the first right hand.
It could have been big problems for me if I had given him the space to get on his feet and move around because you end up wasting energy chasing and worrying about if you are looking good.
I just stayed focused and did what I had to do. I just get in there and fight, the critics can say what they want about opponents or whatever.
It was my first title and I am confident of doubling my belt tally on September 16.
