Maxboxing 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year

Boxers have skills.

Boxers are dedicated.

Boxers can be fearless. 

But what if fans and pundits were questioning something that can be more important than the above?

What is it?

Heart.

In 2020, Daniel Dubois took a knee after Joe Joyce fractured his eye socket in 2020.

Several fans questioned his -wait for it - heart.

Ouch. 

Carl Froch and Matthew Macklin said Dubois quit.

A week after the fight, an eye specialist told Dubois he could have suffered career-ending double vision had he not tapped out against Joyce.

He should have finished the fight, said others.

Two years later, Dubois was in trouble again—this time against blown-up cruiserweight Kevin Lerena. In the opening round, Dubois was on the canvas three times. The first knockdown caused his knee to buckle. He got up and weathered the storm, stopping Lerena in round three.

That knee, the one that had buckled, had sustained an ACL tear. Dubois was out of action for six months.

Dubois fought Oleksandr Usyk nine months later. A debatable shot felled Usyk in round five. Dubois took a knee four rounds later.  

Promoter Frank Warren said he should have beat the count and “gritted his teeth.”

When Dubois fought Jerrel Miller a year ago, the pressure was on. 

Miller predicted Dubois would crumble under his attack.

Didn’t happen. Dubois fought back to stop Miller in ten rounds.  Next up was cocky Filip Hrgović. The two had sparred 10 years ago. Hrgovic dominated. He said the fight would be no contest. 

Dubois was cracked over and over but fought back. Hrgovic was a mess -  until the referee stopped the bout. 

Only three months later, 4-1 underdog Dubois went mano-mano against former heavyweight champion 

Anthony Joshua. Dubois manhandled Joshua, knocking him down four times. 

In round five, a pulverizing right hand ended the fight. 

Daniel Dubois is Maxboxing’s 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year.