What really happened when Anthony Joshua sparred Daniel Dubois – and why it means nothing

By now, every fight fan will have heard at least one version of the story of how Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois first met in the ring in their now fabled sparring session.

The two giants are reunited at Wembley Stadium on Saturday with newly-crowned IBF king champion Dubois defending the title against Joshua, who is seeking to become a three-time world champion back where it all started for him in the capital.

Sparring is an essential part of boxing, helping fighters prepare for the job at hand by trying out different punches, techniques and gameplans in a controlled environment away from prying eyes locked away in the gym. But inevitably, rumours of what happened in those top secret sessions behind closed doors emerge and become part of the story.

In 2016, the same year Joshua won his first world title, an 18-year-old Dubois was invited to put some work in with the new star of British boxing at Team GB’s Performance Institute in Sheffield, the Olympian’s base of operations for so many years.

Dubois would not make his professional debut until the following year and was a complete unknown outside of boxing circles. But that sparring session played a key role in him earning the faith of legendary promoter Frank Warren, who has guided his career ever since.

‘I first heard about Daniel when I was told an 18-year-old lad had knocked out Anthony Joshua,’ Warren later recalled. ‘Dubois was a boy and he knocked out a man in Joshua – a six foot six man at that.’

For his part, Dubois has remained relatively quiet on what happened – although that could change when they meet in what could be a heated press conference later today.

Joshua meanwhile has had no problem admitting the youngster caught him flush that day, but said that was dramatic as things got. ‘He just cracked me with a good shot. I stood on my feet,’ Joshua said.

‘I don’t know where this whole narrative of someone turned my lights off came from. There were a lot of people in the gym that day as well.’

Naturally, the story has snowballed. Former Team GB fighter Anthony Fowler, present in the gym that day, claimed ‘Joshua’s legs went’ as he was on the verge of being knocked out before the session was stopped.

Heavyweight contender Frazer Clarke has sparred countless rounds with Joshua and Dubois over the years – sharing the ring with ‘Triple D’ in recent months as he prepares for his own huge fight up against Fabio Wardley again in October.

He too was in the gym that day the tale was born. But the former Olympian prefers to live by boxing’s omerta and maintain the traditional code of silence when it comes to what really happened in those private sessions.

‘I know exactly what happened,’ Clarke told Metro.co.uk. ‘But I’m all for the codes. What happened in that gym needs to stay in that gym.

‘A few people have been talking about it this week, revealing what they said happened and that’s their own prerogative. But I have nothing to gain from talking about what happened close to 10 years ago watching a sparring session.

‘It was a good spar, there were competitive rounds, both fighters got hurt and that is about all that needs to be said.’

‘Sparring is sparring’ will be the most used phrase you hear in the boxing world this week as we count down to fight night and for good reason.

With no other real history between Joshua and Dubois, the story has become a rich subplot, fuelling predictions the former world champion could be vulnerable up against the younger man with a thunderous right hand.

But what happened between those ropes in Sheffield eight years ago is now irrelevant. Joshua was in practice mode that day, an environment completely different to the one both men will find themselves in on Saturday. A requirement of a training camp is to occasionally put a fighter in situations they find uncomfortable, one Joshua very well may have found himself in against the 18-year-old. But simply put, sparring is not a fight.

Both men have fought under a number of different trainers since and evolved as fighters. Joshua had not fought at the highest level that day while Dubois hadn’t fought as a professional at all.   

Saturday night will provide answers to questions hanging over both men. And a sparring story, even a good one at that, is no substitute for the real thing.

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