Eddie Hearn is turning up the heat on Daniel Dubois as the IBF champion gets ready to defend his title against Anthony Joshua. The promoter is putting Dubois under the microscope by bringing up his past fights and suggesting he's quit before.
Hearn's comments come as Dubois prepares to face Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21. The fight will draw a record crowd of 96,000 fans, all eager to see which of these heavy hitters has the stronger will.
Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Hearn didn't hold back:
"Dubois has a good chin. But he quit against Joyce and Usyk. Against Usyk, Dubois took a jab, went down, took a knee, and didn't really fancy it."
The accusation of quitting has followed Dubois since his first loss to Joe Joyce. In boxing, fighters take pride in their heart and their ability to keep going no matter what. Dubois claimed he had a shattered orbital bone after the Joyce fight, but Hearn isn't buying it.
Hearn's words sparked a debate with Simon Jordan, who compared Dubois taking a knee to Joshua's stoppage loss against Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019. Hearn strongly disagreed:
"That's not the same at all. Joshua kept getting up. He didn't quit."
Despite his criticism, Hearn gave Dubois credit for his punch resistance. He pointed out that Filip Hrgovic hit Dubois with everything but couldn't really hurt him.
The fight on September 21 will show who has the bigger heart. Both Dubois and Joshua are known for their power, but now their mental strength will be put to the test. With Hearn's comments adding fuel to the fire, the pressure is on for both fighters to prove themselves in the ring.
