Ricky Hatton is expecting Daniel Dubois to impress when he takes on Jarrell Miller this Saturday.
Miller is undefeated but has a chequered history after missing long stretches due to drug suspensions, while Dubois is coming off the back of a loss to Oleksandr Usyk, which led to questions about his determination in the ring.
Dubois will be back in the mix for high-profile fights if he defeats Miller at the Day of Reckoning, shown live on DAZN PPV at the weekend.
Speaking to ICE36, the former world champion is predicting Dubois will bounce back with an improved performance.
He said: “I’m expecting a big performance from Daniel – he has to come back in this fight. I think he’s taken some unfair criticism over the last year. Looking back to the low-blow decision that went against him in the Usyk fight, the punch that he landed was on the band.
“I didn’t see where the referee said was legal or illegal when they touched gloves in round one. It was on the belt (the punch). It really depends on what the referee said at the beginning of the fight.”
He added: “I think Daniel’s had a little bit of bad luck. People said he gave up early in the Joyce fight, which I think is harsh. I don’t think he did. There’s nothing more painful than getting those bruises on your eye. This is a great opportunity for Daniel.
“He’s on a massive card and the fact is because he’s on a card with guys like AJ and Wilder, he’s in the mix now. He needs to win this fight convincingly and you never know where it can take him. I think his time will come.”
You can watch the Day of Reckoning, featuring Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, on DAZN PPV on Saturday, December 23. Click here for more details.