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Boxing

Frank Warren expects Daniel Dubois back fighting by May

Alexander Netherton
Frank Warren expects Daniel Dubois back fighting by MayDAZN
The young heavyweight is aiming to put disappointment behind him and rebuild his career.

Daniel Dubois' promoter Frank Warren believes the fighter will be back in action in three or four months.

Dubois took a controversial decision to take a knee in the tenth round of his defeat to Joe Joyce, as the 35-year-old veteran won the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight title in November.

An injury that proved to be a fractured orbital bone was too much for the 23-year-old Londoner to cope with, and he was criticised by professionals and those on social media for the decision. Others suggested that he had taken a wise decision to ensure longevity in the ring.

Dubois however is not on social media, with his representatives operating his Twitter account.

According to Boxing Scene, Warren said: “He is not interested in social media, which is very good. He just wants to get on and fight.”

“I met with him last week. He is not a braggart or a loudmouth and was quite philosophical. When he was caught, he said the pain was searing right through his head. 

“He said it has happened and he has to get on it. The pressure's on him now, but it is not like he took a real belting or got knocked out. If he had been pulled out the round before, two judges had him ahead on their scorecard.”

Losing to Joyce was Dubois’s first professional defeat, and he now has to watch Joyce step up negotiations for a WBO title eliminator with Oleksandr Usyk.

Warren, though, aims to get his fighter back in the ring in the coming months.

“The doctor is happy with the way the fractures have healed,” Warren explained. 

“He has to go back to get his retina looked at again, but hopefully he will then be OK to go again then and get back into full training.

“We want to get him back out in late April or maybe May. All of us are very disappointed with what happened, but he is young and we are not going to rush him into anything.”