Daniel Dubois has split from his head coach Don Charles, in another change to the heavyweight’s team.
Last week, it was revealed that Dubois had parted ways with assistant coach Kieran Farrell, and that the British boxer had teamed up with agent Sam Jones, who is expected to take over some duties from Dubois’s father Stan.
Now, Dubois has made a change of head trainer – not for the first time in his professional career.
The veteran coach told The Times that he and Dubois had parted ways on “good terms, with no ill feelings”, before the boxer released a statement on Tuesday (19 August).
“I want to take this moment to thank Don Charles and his team for all the time, effort and hard work they’ve put into me over the past 18 months. I’m truly grateful for everything.
“That said, I feel it’s time for a change, a fresh approach for the next phase of my career, as I push forward to become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world. God bless.
“I’ll be making a further announcement regarding my new team structure very soon.”
The move follows Dubois’s knockout defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in July, the Briton’s second stoppage loss to the Ukrainian in two years.
Usyk, 38, finished the 27-year-old in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium, having previously beaten him in Poland in 2023. Usyk’s victory in the rematch saw him become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, as he reclaimed the IBF title, which Dubois carried into the bout.
Dubois came in for criticism after the loss, when it was revealed that he had hosted a pre-fight party at his family’s home. Charles tentatively defended the “gathering”, saying the same had been done before September’s knockout of Anthony Joshua.
Charles was credited with playing a key role in the finest run of Dubois’s career, as “Dynamite” stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua between December 2023 and September 2024.
The partnership with Charles followed Dubois’s previous stints with coaches Shane McGuigan and Martin Bowers, meaning Dubois’s next trainer will be the fourth of his eight-year professional career.
It has been reported that Dubois will now be coached by Tony Sims at Matchroom Gym, in a unique move for a boxer promoted by Queensberry.
