Footage emerges of Anthony Joshua threatening to throw a chair at Daniel Dubois as heavyweight rivals nearly come to blows in ill-tempered interview to announce September 21 bout at Wembley

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois nearly came to blows when they sat down for a joint interview ahead of their world title fight on September 21.

Tensions rose when Dubois told Joshua he was more than ready to “go now” if he “wants to swing.”

“Shut up, relax,” Joshua replied. ‘I’ll throw this damn chair over your face. Don’t respect me.’

Dubois tried to remain calm and said, “You can’t intimidate me, who do you think you are?”

The comment caused Joshua to get up from his chair and the two had to be separated by security, while Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn looked on.

Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua were separated after the latter threatened to throw a chair

Joshua threatened to throw a chair at his opponent twice, which quickly soured the interview

“Daniel, don’t be disrespectful or I’ll put that damn chair in your face,” Joshua continued.

“Warn this little boy that he doesn’t respect me. I don’t take disrespect lightly, you know. Don’t sit on the table and say we can go now, and tell me this and that.

Promoter Frank Warren said: ‘This was serious. We don’t need any stunts to sell this fight.”

‘Wembley Stadium sells out in no time. Who wouldn’t want to see two British giants with enormous punching power go at each other. That’s what heavyweight boxing is all about.

‘Daniel is really ready for this fight. And the big pressure is on Joshua at this later stage of his career.”

The fight broke out in the corridors of Wembley Arena after Oleksandr Usyk gave Joshua the chance to become a three-time world heavyweight champion by taking part in this Battle of Britain.

Usyk sent a video message to the pair, both of whom he defeated (AJ twice) on his way to becoming the first undisputed champions of the four-belt era.

He said: ‘My friends, the IBF title is my gift to you’

It was announced on Wednesday that Joshua and Dubois will fight for the IBF title on September 21

But his gesture of giving up his alpha belt denies Tyson Fury the chance to finally become the undisputed world champion in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December.

The WBC, WBA and WBO titles are still on the line in Riyadh over Christmas week.

But if the Gypsy King ever wants to top the group, he will have to avenge his defeat to Usyk and then hope that the winner of Dubois-Joshua agrees to fight him in 2025.

And the question is whether Fury will be as motivated in December without the lure of the ultimate prize.

Dubois cut short a Brazilian vacation at Rio’s bikini-packed Copacabana Beach to fly home for the spectacle.

He discovered that the IBF had promoted him from interim world champion to world champion when he turned on his cell phone after landing.

“I saw the news on social media,” he said. “I would have actually preferred to win the title in the ring. But I’ll make sure of that by beating AJ.”

The IBF had been wracking their brains for almost two decades over whether to strip Usyk of their belt and disrupt the first undisputed championship fight in almost two decades. The Ukrainian Idol made that decision easier.

Dubois explained how he “dreamed every night” about knocking out his British compatriot

The fight comes with Oleksandr Usyk vacating his IBF title ahead of a rematch with Tyson Fury

Dubois also eased their decision with his sensational knockout of mandatory contender Filip Hrgovic. Usyk’s ‘gift’ allowed the IBF to sanction Joshua v Dubois.

Money-grabbing power is how the posters are labeling this fight, but in fact Joshua will be the challenger.