Footage has shown how Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois were restrained in a tense interview this week, with “AJ” threatening to “put a chair” across his opponent’s face.
It was announced this week that the British heavyweights will square off on 21 September, headlining Wembley Stadium in London.
Dubois’s IBF title will be on the line, after the 26-year-old was upgraded from interim champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the official belt this week.
While Joshua, 34, and Dubois appeared cordial at Wednesday’s press conference, footage released on Thursday showed a tense confrontation between the pair from earlier that day.
During an interview featuring the pair and their promoters – Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren – Joshua said: “Honestly, from the bottom of my heart… Aside from belts, and aside from it being him, I’m just ready to fight.”
When Dubois replied, “Let’s go, let’s go,” his promoter Warren interjected: “But let’s wait for 21 September.”
“If he wants to swing, go, let’s go now,” Dubois continued, to which Joshua said: “Shut up, relax, relax.”
Dubois hit back, “If you wanna go now, let’s go now,” before Joshua said: “I’ll throw this f***ing chair across your face. Don’t disrespect me.”
“No, you can’t intimidate me, who do you think you are?” Dubois said, while Joshua repeatedly urged: “Daniel, don’t disrespect me.
“I’ll put this chair across your f***ing face,” AJ said, as the pair stood and were restrained, leading the interview to be cut.
Joshua, calling his former sparring partner a “little boy”, continued: “I don’t know who the f*** this guy thinks he’s talking to. I don’t take disrespect lightly. Don’t sit at the table telling me we can ‘go now’ and this and that.”
Joshua will enter Wembley on the back of four straight wins, three of them knockouts, while Dubois is 2-0 since losing to Usyk by stoppage in August.
The winner of September’s main event is expected to box the victor of Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury, which is set to take place in December.
