FRAZER CLARKE has laughed off the suggestion Anthony Joshua was floored by heavyweight starlet Daniel Dubois, insisting: It never happened.
It has long been believed in boxing circles – yet never proven – that the 20-year-old prospect Dubois dropped the 28-year-old IBF, WBA ‘Super’ and WBO heavyweight world champion in sparring at the Team GB HQ in Sheffield more than two years ago.
Dubois has had just seven pro fights and promoter Frank Warren added to the conspiracy by claiming last October: “Not only did Dubois knock Joshua down, he absolutely did for Joshua in the gym”
Commonwealth champion Clarke has done hundreds of rounds with close pal AJ under the guidance of coach Rob McCracken.
And he is adamant that his undefeated sparring partner NEVER hit the deck like the myth suggests.
Clarke, 26, said: “I have never seen him put Joshua down.
“I am sure I am at 99 per cent of the spars and he has hit him flush and has probably shook him up a bit, but the way they make out that he put him down on his backside, it just never happened.
“I can honestly say if it was true, Joshua would turn round and say ‘yeah, it happened, it was true’, but he hasn’t.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s sparring and people take big shots and I have seen him [Joshua] take a big shot off Daniel and I’ve seen him give Daniel a big shot.”
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When AJ’s fight with Joseph Parker was revealed, he listed the three times he had been truly chinned in his young career.
David Price caught him cold, sparring in 2011, Mihal Nistor stopped him at the European Champions later that year and Wladimir Klitschko rocked him at Wembley in 2017, before he got up to win.
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Dubois’ alleged assault was never mentioned by the honest heavyweight and Fraser says the story of the two Brit giants colliding might have been a tall tale.
He said: “I don’t think it was Daniel, it’s the people around him. Daniel is a nice kid and he probably admitted he shook Joshua up a bit in sparring and someone has made more of a story of it.”
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