London's Wembley Stadium is preparing itself for what will be a huge night for British boxing.
Anthony Joshua will do battle with IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium and it will be broadcast live on DAZN .
As ever with these marquee boxing events, there are a whole host of fight week events to heighten anticipation ahead of the opening bell, and former middleweight champion Darren Barker will be in attendance.
Here Barker delivers his verdict for each day of the Joshua vs. Dubois fight week ahead of fight night on Saturday.
Day 2 - Workouts
I have to emphasise just how special this fight week has already become. The butterflies are already going for me, so for the fighters, trainers and promoters, they must be feeling incredible.
When I was in Saudi for the Tyson [Fury vs. Oleksandr] Usyk fight, it was the first time in 23 years we were set to have an undisputed champion. That had a very special feel around the whole week, it felt so big. And this week feels the same. There is an extra special buzz here in London.
AJ starting to ramp up
I witnessed a change in Anthony Joshua from the grand arrivals on Tuesday to the workout on Wednesday. There was more fire in his eyes, more intent. Being up close to him, I could tell he had turned the screw ever so slightly into fight mode.
That could be worrying for Daniel, who still has a smile on his face, still looks calm and focused, but this is where Anthony belongs. He is tried and tested with these events.
Daniel Dubois looks like the weight of the world has been taken off his shoulders. Joshua is the favourite and that has taken a lot of pressure off Daniel and it appears to be having a positive effect on him from what I’ve witnessed.
Don Charles absence not a concern
Daniel’s trainer Don Charles has been missing so far this week and could not make the workout. This is due to suffering from the flu we believe, which he wants to keep out of the camp, and he expects to be back for the fight.
Daniel has a big, strong bond with Charles, so if he cannot make fight night, then that could be pivotal and you just don’t know how that could affect Daniel.
However, the man the Dubois listens to the most, especially mentally, is his dad. He doesn’t want to disappoint his dad, he wants to make him proud. He is being licensed to be in the corner on fight night and I think if his dad couldn’t be here for the week and on fight night that would be the bigger loss for Daniel.
That is no disrespect to Don Charles, who is a great coach. I just see that Dubois’s dad is just so pivotal in any success Daniel has moving forward.
AJ-Dubois promoters getting nervous
Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn both came up to our media box to speak to us during the workouts. Similar to the fighters, you can tell they are getting a bit twitchier and more nervous as we get closer to fight night, but both are confident.
Frank was a little bullish. He fancies his charge Dubois. He feels he is the bigger puncher, that he has [overcome] adversity and rebuilt after his loss to Usyk and that has made him better.
For Eddie, this is a similar scenario to many other weeks he and AJ have experienced before. It is another big event fight, another huge show, another tough opponent, stuff that Joshua has experienced and dealt with in the past.
The new wind-up king
Elsewhere in the workouts, two other fighters stood out for me. Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson just do not like each other. It is not for show, they do not like each other. There is bad blood here.
I think Hutchinson is quickly becoming the biggest wind-up merchant in boxing. He loves to get under the skin of this opponent.
Witnessing Hutchinson first-hand, he is a naturally entertaining character, bundles and bundles of personality. I think that side comes naturally to him. He doesn’t have to force it.
I think if he was fighting a close friend he would still be winding them up and trying to get in their head.
It is fine margins in boxing, especially in a fight like this. So, if that can give him an advantage, get Buatsi fighting differently because he is emotionally charged then he could gain that extra percent to win.
Roll on Thursday’s press conference, I expect it will ramp up further the tension and adrenaline for all.
Day 1 - Grand Arrivals
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Riyadh Season has arrived in London and it was a proud moment for me, as someone whose family are from the English capital to be in attendance. The bright lights, the huge crowds, it was clear that there was a buzz around Leicester Square ahead of a huge fight on Saturday night.
When he made his arrival, it looked like even Anthony Joshua was surprised, despite everything he has been a part of, this is a new experience for him. This is also important for him as it keeps him engaged, entertained and buzzing for the sport of boxing.
Both Joshua and his opponent Daniel Dubois looked relaxed and confident at the Grand Arrivals. Dubois has proven a lot of people, including myself, wrong when it came to recovering from the loss to Oleksandr Usyk. The way Dubois beat Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic proved that he had heart and courage, and now he wants to prove how good he really is.
For Joshua, he has already been in this situation before, and he seems very content with where his career is at, his ability and the fact that he has gelled well with his new corner team led by Ben Davison has put him in a strong position ahead of fight night.
Stay tuned for Darren Barker's thoughts from the rest of fight week over the coming days.
More on AJ v Dubois
- Joshua vs. Dubois fight guide
- Fight week schedule
- AJ-Dubios fight week live blog
- AJ vs. Daniel Dubois: Behind-the-scenes news and gossip
- Joshua vs. Dubois undercard
- Joshua vs. Dubois: How to watch and pay-per-view prices