One of the most explosive rants from a respected trainer in years in the sport of boxing this.
IBF Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois recently knocked out Anthony Joshua in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London, UK.
His trainer Don Charles commended Joshua below but went to bat against undisputed champion Usyk whom Dubois previously lost to in controversial circumstances.
In a heated debate on Talk Sport, Gareth A. Davies and the studio panel talked with Daniel Dubois’ team including Don Charles and Dubois’ team — with Dubois’ team and Gareth A. Davies in particular going back and forth — here’s the full segment for balance of what is becoming an infamous one:
“I’m sorry, what do you mean? Why Daniel? Um, Anthony fluffed his. I just don’t think he got going in the fight, but Daniel allowed him. Exactly, exactly. You can only do what your opposition lets you do. Sometimes, I think how people judge fighters, and I think it can be disrespectful to Anthony Joshua himself.
Yeah, the gentleman tried his best, of course, of course. So, what I’m saying is that he tried his best, and to criticize him about how he approached the fight, I think that’s disrespectful to the person himself. We did our job, and we were successful in overcoming what Anthony had planned, and we were successful. But to criticize somebody, automatically saying he fluffed it, I don’t think those words are accurate. It’s unfortunate; he tried to do something, but Daniel on the night didn’t put it in, and we didn’t allow him to. That’s the whole point.
It’s the same as football. Yeah, yeah, it’s the same as football. A coach, there’s nothing wrong with a coach. Yeah, they’ve coached to play a certain way, but the opposition recognized it and countered the strategy. Exactly. He didn’t implement his strategy because he wasn’t allowed to. That’s what I’m saying. As for this analogy of fluffing, remove the word fluff. I think we have to be careful about how we speak about athletes, especially someone like Anthony Joshua, who has achieved so much in the game.
We’re not here to criticize. Let’s not be dismissive. The man transcended boxing. The man is—sorry, let’s not be dismissive of the gentleman who created that atmosphere in Wembley. It was all about him, but we came with a different game plan, and we were successful, overriding his plan. So we are winners (team Dubois), and like I’ve always said, it’s a sport. I’ve always said we should celebrate Anthony Joshua. In fact, it should be Sir Anthony Joshua. Anthony Joshua has kept the majority of the industry, people like yourself, in employment for long periods, so we should celebrate him. I agree.
He didn’t fluff his lines then—it’s just an expression. I’ll also say this: he’s a very educated, articulate man, who also showed incredible resilience and courage to stay in that fight until the fifth round. He nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the fifth round. He showed himself to be a gladiator. There are many things we can say about his effort. Many would have quit, but he didn’t.
Yeah, exactly. Okay, God is great because it would have been a crying shame for Daniel to have done all that he did in the earlier rounds, only to lose. It would have been one of the greatest turnarounds ever, but God is great—it didn’t happen. It wasn’t meant to be.
Obviously, we’re celebrating Daniel (us at Talk Sport said Adam Catterall of Talk Sport) and his fantastic performance last weekend. He’s had one go at Oleksandr Usyk, and he admitted himself that going into the lion’s den, away from home in Poland on their Independence Day, with everything stacked against him, was a challenge. We knew about it; we knew everything. But experience is key, correct? He’s had that experience now. As a team, are you looking forward to another opportunity at that puzzle, potentially meeting Usyk again?
Yeah, where I couldn’t tell him. Okay, this is personal. I shouldn’t make it personal—it’s always about the fighters. It really is, and it still is about the fighters. I don’t get in the ring to take punches or give punches. Mr. Usyk is a fake—an exceptional boxer, yes, masterful, a genius at what he’s done and what he can do. But he’s a fake, a liar, and a cheat (said Don Charles, trainer of Daniel Dubois the IBF Heavyweight Champion).
In what aspect?
Well, do excuse me, he is a guy who says he’s a God-fearing man, always crossing himself. If you believe in the same God as me and the world’s population, one of the Ten Commandments says you cannot cheat. That’s against one of the Ten Commandments. So, make your mind up—do you worship God or not? Because if you do, then cheating and the acting he did when Daniel dropped him—he should win an Oscar for that.
Do you think he was trying to get Daniel disqualified when he went down?
I don’t think disqualification was in his mind. The man was gone. He was gone. I saw it. I know what I saw live—I didn’t need any replays. The man was able to act and cheat his way back. Categorically, it wasn’t a low blow. Come on, man, I’ve said it in many interviews—no, hell no.
You just mentioned the opportunity to have another go if it presents itself. Our focus isn’t on that right now. No, it’s not. Our focus is not on meeting Usyk again, should that materialize. I dare Usyk to get in the ring with Daniel Dubois again.
How much enjoyment do you get out of working with someone as young as Daniel, who’s had his bumps along the way, adding the boltons, as you said, to then realize what he did last weekend?
Oh, the joy—I couldn’t. There’s no scale in this world to measure how we feel, not just me, but the team too. I must apologize to your audience. You’re looking at a very angry man here. I should be happy, and I am, but I’m also very, very angry. Do you understand the punishment of 20 years? This industry has crushed me. If I weren’t the person I am, I could have had a nervous breakdown. I could have started intoxicating myself with alcohol or drugs to escape the pressure, the persecution, the ridiculing.
There’s a lot of love for you, Don, you need to know that.
There is love from my family—that’s the only love I want. I don’t want love from you guys. Your love is fake love.
I think the fans love you.
No, no, I’m not talking about the fans. I’m talking about the industry, not the fans. The industry.
I think you’re loved in the industry.
Excuse me, excuse me—let me be the judge of that. Not you. You’re not qualified to judge that.
Okay, I appreciate you coming in. Thank you so much.
Me too, Ian. Thank you so much for—
No, you didn’t. Don’t lie. You didn’t appreciate me being here.
I appreciate both of you being here. Thank you so much. We’re all the best to Daniel, looking forward to seeing what he does next because this ride has captivated us all.
Fasten your seatbelts, yeah? We haven’t even started yet.”
Wow.
Where to begin on all of that.
Usyk stopped Dubois in their first when they fought but Dubois’ shot was ruled a low blow for what many people thought was a legitimate blow that should have been scored as one that dropped Usyk.
Charles has understandable and justified anger in his voice and no fake love here — the boxing world does genuinely respect Charles and so does team Dubois (obviously).
Big respect to Don Charles and all of team Dubois, and dynamite Daniel of course himself — on his achievement against AJ.
And frankly the event’s achievement not just for society in the UK but for professional sport across Europe.
It was something out of a movie that event.
Usyk is a man who believes God though and it is understandable Charles is still upset from the fight, and some other stuff.
He has every right to be angry with the wrongs done to him — which have now being made right for him and don’t worry — will be more as time goes on in boxing.
Usyk vs Dubois 2 seems a natural fight in the future — a mega one no less.
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