Daniel Dubois took the first loss of his pro career on Nov. 28, stopped in the 10th round by Joe Joyce in a fight where Dubois had trouble with a heavy jab, which busted up his eye and left him injured and beaten.
But Dubois (15-1, 14 KO) is still just 23, still one of the more promising heavyweight prospects in the game, and lost to a very good step-up opponent in Joyce, too.
Now looking to return with Mark Tibbs as his new trainer, Dubois sat down with Queensberry Promotions’ YouTube team to chat about the Joyce fight and how he plans to come back.
On his eye injury
“I’m just waiting to get the doctor’s all-clear report, then I’ll know where I’m at. They told me that it should be around five months or so, and it’s been about three months or something like that. I’m still waiting to see if they see anything or what. But there are no vision problems or anything.”
Reflecting on the loss to Joe Joyce
“It’s a massive setback for me, and it’s my first big, real — I’ve had to take some positives and the negative, as well. I’ve taken it all on board. Right now I just want to vent my frustration out and get back in the gym and get back on course, see where I’m at, what level I’m at. Really start fresh again, start from the basics like I’ve just turned pro. It showed me a few things I’ve got to take heed of.”
On what went wrong against Joyce
“A number of things went wrong. But on the night he had a sharper jab and the eye went, of course, but it was a nip-and-tuck fight. But I’ll build myself up again and fight whoever I’ve got to fight. I’d love to have some revenge and have that clash again, but right now I’ve just got to take it on board and move forward, get back to my basics with boxing and start from scratch.”
On watching the fight back
“Once is enough. It’s a memory, and it’s a bad memory, but I’ve got to use that. Moving forward now, and I’m moving forward with Mark Tibbs and Jimmy Tibbs as my trainers from now on. Their experience can really help me moving forward in my career. That’s what I need.”
On the pain of the eye injury
“You have to feel it to know. It’s boxing, and everything can change in a split second. I can say now, speaking here, but in the ring it’s fatigue, it’s many factors playing against you. Once that shot hit and I felt something in my eye, I took the knee and — once I felt it go in my eye, I really didn’t even think about the fight then, I forgot all about the fight. I took the knee. Maybe inexperience, panicking and other stuff, it just happened in that moment. I got up and I’m being counted out and it’s, like, ‘Wow, how did that happen?’ But it is what it is now. I just put it behind me and get on with it.”
“It was many things. I felt the pain and what was happening in my eye. It was just on that moment. I took a knee and it was discombobulating me a bit. I was a bit frantic, panicking, and the rest is history. But I’m not going to get let this put me down, hold me back.”