Last September, when Daniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round to become the hottest thing in the heavyweight division, there were no questions, just praise. However, less than a year later, and as ‘DDD’ got on the receiving end of a brutal beating by Oleksandr Usyk, he is facing nothing but criticism.

The tides turned dramatically when Oleksandr Usyk obliterated ‘Dynamite’ with a devastating fifth-round knockout. In the days following, the Brit has faced relentless scrutiny over his tactics. The very strategies that secured his earlier victory are now under fire, with fans directing their frustration at Daniel Dubois’ father, demanding explanations. After days of silence, DDD’s camp finally addressed the controversy, with Don Charles stepping in with an explanation.

A few hours ago, Don Charles appeared in an interview on talkSport, where he faced questions about the large gathering before Daniel Dubois’ fight. Recent reports have surfaced, claiming that Dave Dubois hosted a 70-person party at his Essex home. The controversy stems from ‘DDD’ himself participating in the celebration.

The iconic trainer defended the antics, claiming that they did the same thing before the Anthony Joshua clash. “The same gathering we used for the prep on fight day for the AJ fight… That gathering from the same home was taken to the dressing room for that fight. Some of Dano’s friends and his father’s friends were in the dressing room for the AJ dress for the fight. That energy is what gave birth to the energy that everybody witnessed in the ring walk. And we were victorious on that occasion,” he explained.

Charles asserted that anyone in his position would have done the same thing. While there were far more participants this time, given that the Oleksandr Usyk clash was the biggest matchup of Dubois’ career, they weren’t going to take any chances. “I’m a logical man. The only logical sense that why there were more people is to increase the volume, because it’s big, you’re going to the AJ fight was big. This is, this even trumps it. I didn’t think that was possible. So if you try to understand, that’s what I do,” he explained.

And though the trainer himself attended the party, he vouched that every person in the gathering knew Daniel Dubois personally. “He comes from a very large family, cousins and brothers. And yeah. So a lot of the people, I know most of those people. They’re his people,” he concluded.

On the surface, Don Charles’ explanation makes sense. Replicating what previously worked for you. However, that is not how combat sports work. Every fight is different and needs different tactics. So, hosting such a large gathering just a few hours before the greatest fight of one’s career is indeed irresponsible. Furthermore, that is not the only criticism that has been flung at Dave Dubois this week, as a former world champion also blamed him for his son’s loss.

Dave Allen gives a reality check

Right after the Wembley headliner, Dave Allen joined Specialist Sports Correspondent Gareth A.Davies, Adam Catterall, and Spencer Oliver on talkSPORT. Allen, who spent the past few weeks sparring with ‘DDD,’ was shocked at just how timid and impatient the Brit was in the ring. And he knows the reason behind it.

“Daniel was beat, maybe a minute in. He got hit 3 or 4 jabs; he was made to miss. At the end of round one, I believe Daniel’s dad was in shouting ‘double jab right-hand’ and taking over the corner. Don Charles is the trainer,” the Yorkshire native said. He believes that Dubois Sr. had no business coming to his son’s corner when Don Charles is the trainer.

“There’s one coach. “It’s ridiculous. He’s a great coach, Don Charles. Daniel Dubois’ father should not be given any instructions. He’s not a boxing coach,” he doubled down on his claims. Despite the good relations between Dubois family and Don Charles, no situation could justify what went down during the fight. And according to ‘White Rhino’, that cost Daniel Dubois the match.

Well, this discourse is going to be rampant on the internet for a little while, and honestly, it’s all irrelevant now. Only ‘Dynamite’ knows what went wrong during the fight. And in the end, only one question remains. How would he bounce back? What do you think?