After six months out of the ring, British heavyweight Daniel Dubois returns to the ring this weekend as he prepares to lock horns with Romania’s Bogdan Dinu.
The 23-year-old is likely to show nerves on his first fight back since suffering a broken left orbital bone and nerve damage during his first career defeat to Joe Joyce in November 2020.
Dubois and Dinu headline the card at the Telford International Centre, where 1,000 fans are set to be in attendance, while Archie Sharp, and Tommy Fury are also set to fight.
Revenge on Dubois’ Mind
Dubois’ record stands at 15-1 after his defeat to Joyce, and he needs to answer questions during his fight with Dinu. The Romanian will be going all out to target Dubois’ eye, and the Brit needs to show composure, which could be challenging at his age.
However, Dubois hired Shane McGuigan after his first career defeat, and the former believes their relationship could be perfect for his future success.
McGuigan has only been working with the hard-hitting Dubois for a few weeks, and he will want to see him get the rounds in this weekend.
Dubois is unlikely to learn anything from an early stoppage, so over 3.5 rounds appeals at 10/13, while Dubois to win in rounds 7-8 at 13/2 also catches the eye.
The former British and Commonwealth champion has already discussed a rematch with Joyce later this year, but, for now, he must concentrate on a solid performance against Dinu, who has been stopped by Jarrell Miller and Kubrat Pulev.
Sharp Hoping to Catch the Eye
Super-featherweight Archie Sharp is also back in action after a lengthy lay-off, with the South Londoner back in the ring for the first time since August 2020.
Sharp has had to recover from an arm injury since his points win over Jeff Ofori, which took his professional record to 19-0.
He has also hired a new trainer in Alan Smith as he prepares to face 30-year-old Nicaraguan Marcio Soza. Soza has 12 knockouts on his record, but he has tasted defeat on six occasions.
Soza has only been stopped on one occasion as a professional, and Sharp may have to settle for a points win at odds of 20/23.
Fury Back in Action
Tyson Fury’s younger brother, Tommy, is also back this weekend as he prepares to have his sixth fight as a professional.
‘TNT’ has yet to be tested in his short career, with the 22-year-old beating all five of his opponents with ease.
His five fights to date have spanned just ten rounds, but promoter Frank Warren hopes Saturday’s clash with Jordan Grant will go into the later rounds.
Warren’s matchmaking means Fury should still have his hand raised, but he wants his fighter to show his skills throughout a fight, and he will be confident his fighter can breeze to victory at odds of 1/66.
*All odds correct at time of writing