Don Charles speaks to Seconds Out about the training camp and his strategy for Daniel Dubois’s fight against Alexander Usyk
Reflecting on the training camp’s completion, Don Charles expressed satisfaction with how smoothly everything had gone:
“It couldn’t have gone any better. We came through.. really, really well and really happy and delighted to have completed a quite tough, grueling Camp, injury-free, delighted indeed.”
Strategy and the Secret Weapon: James Ali Bashir
Charles’s decision to bring in James Ali Bashir, Usyk’s former coach, was both tactical and deliberate:
“I’ve known Mr. Bashir for quite a number of years… when I was appointed as Daniel Dubois’s coach… it just went coincidentally that our first fight together will be against a former student of Mr. Ali Bashir. Common Sense should Prevail here, and I reached out… experience is one thing you cannot buy… it’s about information… marginal gains, and it’s been very, very helpful.”
Charles praised Dubois’s willingness to learn, his listening skills, and his extensive knowledge of boxing history:
“Daniel is a listening student… he’s turned out to be a really fine student of the sport, and he also studies boxing. He’s a historian, even at his age… he surprised me in the past few weeks… of his knowledge of the history of boxing.”
Mind Games, Focus, and Expectations from Usyk
When talking about Usyk’s mind games and what to expect, Charles seemed unconcerned:
“With Daniel, it’s all about temperament. He’s a cool guy, he’s not phased at all… he’s not phased even if Usyk starts doing his rap and singing and juggling balls… we’re good for anything he’s gonna come with.”
Charles’s final words were filled with confidence and anticipation:
“I predict we’re going to win this fight by an emphatic stoppage. Yeah, in our favor, you’re going to see our boy Dubois be crowned Unified heavyweight champion of the world… it’s been written already in my opinion, and we will prove that on Saturday.”
