Daniel Dubois’ trainer Don Charles has finally spoken out after rumours circulated that ‘Triple D’ had sacked him days before fight night.
Charles has been absent during fight week ahead of Dubois’ IBF heavyweight title clash with Anthony Joshua on Saturday night, prompting speculation that ‘Triple D’ had given him the boot.
Dubois’ trainer, Charles, will be in his fighter’s corner on SaturdayGetty
Shortly after gossip began to swirl around social media, talkSPORT.com was informed by a rep for Frank Warren‘s Queensberry that Charles remains Dubois’ head trainer and will be in his corner as planned for the Joshua fight.
talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver then came out and revealed that Charles was staying away from Dubois after catching the flu.
Both of these reports have now been confirmed by Charles, who joined talkSPORT’s White and Jordan show on Friday morning.
Asked how he was feeling, Charles replied: “Well, a lot better than I was. I’ve been bedridden for the last five days.
“We finished camp successfully like a week ago. And then on Sunday, I felt not feeling very well.
“It’s a head cold, but a very bad head cold and I’ve been in bed literally trying to shake it off.
“The most sensible thing to do was not to go anywhere near my fighter because can you imagine if I gave this to him? Then there will be no fight.
“So, like I said, the most sensible thing is what we did.
“I spoke to his father, and we obviously decided the most sensible thing to do is stay away and not give this to anybody because this could easily spread right through our camp.
“And then, God knows who else can contract it and then it jeopardises this big show.”
Dubois defends his IBF heavyweight title this weekend at Wembley StadiumMark Robinson/Matchroom
Charles then confirmed he will be in Dubois’ corner on fight night.
“I’m a godfearing man. I will always say if God gives us help then 100 per cent I will be in his corner, that’s the plan,” he insisted.
Boxing media personality Spencer Fearon added further fuel to the rumours when he insisted Charles and Dubois’ father had fallen out.
Charles added: “There’s a few individuals, for whatever reason, they went around spreading bad, vicious rumours that there’s been a fall out.
“No, there has not been any fall out. I hate to disappoint them. We’re very, together [as a] team.
“The family and the training staff were very, very tight. So this fall out stuff, it’s all ludicrous. It’s a vicious lie.”
While Charles has been bedridden with flu, he has been feeding back instructions to Dubois over the phone.
He continued: “On the telephone, yes. We have a routine, every set-up has a routine. We have a fight week routine.
“Basically, my team members they all know what we do.
“And I’m on the phone first thing in the morning and they know what to do with the fighter.
“The fighter knows what to do so collectively, they’re able to do it.”
talkSPORT will bring you exclusive live commentary of the heavyweight clash at Wembley Stadium between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois on Saturday, September 21. Download the talkSPORT app here.
