Meditation and visualisation will play a big part in helping reigning IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois prepare for his showdown with Anthony Joshua; watch Joshua vs Dubois live from Wembley Stadium live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 21
Friday 6 September 2024 13:31, UK
Daniel Dubois will be meditating over, and visualising how, he plans to defeat Anthony Joshua when they meet at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
The IBF world heavyweight champion takes on the former unified king of the division in a blockbuster clash, live on Sky Sports Box Office, where the winner will be line to face the victor of the Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury rematch later this year.
Dubois already has visions of standing across the ring from Wembley against Joshua and how he believes the contest will end and will be focusing hard in training camp to ensure that becomes a reality on fight night.
"When I'm in training camp, I sharpen up my mind," Dubois told Sky Sports. "I play out the fight over and over, and just meditation and just visualising.
"I do a lot of that, and the sparring helps. The camp atmosphere all helps as well.
"This fight sells itself, based off me and AJ and what we both bring - and what I bring especially.
"We'll see as it goes on, but I'm going to be in camp, locked in and focused. I'll have tunnel vision about getting that victory."
September 21 will not be the first time Dubois and Joshua have shared a ring, with the duo having sparred together when the former was part of the Great Britain amateur squad.
There have been rumours Joshua was knocked down by his future opponent in one session, although the former champion has denied that.
Dubois insists he has no memories of those sessions either and even if he did, is adamant they would be of no relevance as he has come on so much as a boxer since then.
"Those spars were seven years ago, and I can't remember a thing about them, to be honest," Dubois said.
"I'm not here to spar him now, I'm here to fight him, so I'm thinking about that. I haven't brought my headguard, that spar is in the past for me.
"At the time it was a great experience, but seven years on I'm a different fighter now with different experiences in the fight game."
Among those experiences are those big nights on boxing's grand stages, such as stadium fights against Kevin Lerena and Usyk in Tottenham and Wroclaw respectively, not to mention the clashes with Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia.
He has tussled for titles too, beating Trevor Bryan in Miami to claim the WBA regular heavyweight crown two years ago and then take the IBF interim crown, later upgraded to full world champion status, in the bout with Hrgovic.
"Especially Saudi," Dubois said, reflecting on what he has learnt from those big nights. "It was an amazing journey and I feel like it has empowered me to move on from here and get this next W.
"To go out there and the way we got the [WBA regular belt] with Don King in Miami was just a dream - it was a trip, it was good.
"It's back in London, fighting again - I've missed it. It's going to be a great night to have that feel, that energy and that buzz in the city."
Having now compiled a 21-2 (20) record as a professional and holding a world title, Dubois has little to fear when he takes on Joshua in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley.
But he is adamant he will be able to utilise any fear there is on the night rather than let it get to him.
"You can never let that happen," Dubois said. "Even if you are scared you've got to act brave!
"For a fighter, if you don't have a bit of fear then you're crazy. But fear is good and it's my friend when I'm in the ring."
Watch Joshua vs Dubois live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 21.
