Sparring partners spitting blood, spicy Caribbean recipes prepared by his father – and a secret Wembley ritual: Inside Daniel Dubois’ ‘Farm Gym’ camp ahead of Saturday’s Anthony Joshua showdown

Situated on the quiet outskirts of Borehamwood, the ‘Farm Gym’ is where Daniel Dubois has been forging his path to greatness in preparation for this weekend’s blockbuster match with Anthony Joshua.

The Farm Gym is more than just a place to train; it’s a melting pot where raw energy meets serene tranquility. And all against the backdrop of the iconic Wembley Arch, visible on clear days.

Dubois and his coach, Don Charles, opened the doors of their camp to Mail Sport, providing a rare glimpse behind the scenes. From learning camp secrets to seeing Dubois’ sparring partners spit blood, it proved to be an enlightening and eye-opening visit.

Every morning, Dubois starts his day with a ritual that is both inspiring and grounding. He steps out of the gym and stares at the Wembley Arch in the distance, imagining himself beating AJ as the crowd cheers as he stands triumphantly on the canvas.

“I’ll tell you our camp secret,” Charles said. “Daniel won’t tell anyone, but you caught us. Every day since we started training for this fight, he’s come up here and stood there looking at the Wembley Arch. Every day, it’s almost a ritual.”

“That’s the fate that beckons, in my opinion. And guess what? He’s the fighter, but he’s not the only one who does that. The coaching staff and I do that ritual every day. I park my car and I look over there and visualize Daniel winning at Wembley.

‘Life and boxing is not just about the physical, it’s also about the spiritual. One of the reasons for having this location is that you drive into the complex and you see the arch of Wembley Stadium.’

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses in camp. When we arrived at the gym, the intensity was palpable. Dubois’ sparring sessions were brutal. One sparring partner nearly pushed us out of the way as he ran out the door to spit blood, while another, barely catching his breath, gave a weary nod from the corner.

There was a quiet, simmering confidence in Dubois after sparring, the same we saw when he brazenly referred to himself as Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller’s “daddy” before their December clash, and again when he so upset Anthony Joshua during their showdown that AJ accused him of disrespect. It’s the kind of confidence that speaks volumes without you having to shout.

“I would say his confidence comes from within,” Charles said. “The succession of good results. But it’s also a mix of the happiness he’s found in his life. There’s a saying, ‘You are the company you keep.’ You become the force of the environment you surround yourself with and that brings out the natural fighter in him.

“He speaks more and is bolder because he is happy with himself. It is powerful.”

Dubois’ environment also includes a rigorous military assault course that pushes fighters far beyond the limits of traditional boxing training. The 27-year-old faces a relentless series of obstacles that test his physical strength and mental toughness.

From clambering over walls to crawling through mud and sprinting across inhospitable terrain, each challenge reminds us that the label of quitter he was given after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk is a thing of the past.

Charles agrees, claiming that the ranch environment helped Dubois develop into a champion, reminiscent of the legendary Big Bear gym in California, where icons such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya made their mark.

“When Muhammad Ali fought Sonny Liston, he trained in Big Bear and the environment was almost a carbon copy of what we have here. So we’re going back to the days of the greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali. We’re trying to reconnect the past with the present.”

And as if the obstacle course wasn’t enough, Charles has completely ruined any idea of ​​a relaxing day at the beach for Dubois. For most of us, the thought of a trip to the coast brings joy, but for Dubois, I can only imagine it evokes something closer to fear.

Next to the ring is a brutal stretch of sand that looks more like a torture track than a beach. This long sandpit has become an essential part of Dubois’ training routine.

There are no sandcastles in sight here. Instead, he performs sprints and does round after round of shadow boxing to not only increase his stamina, but also refine his speed and agility.

‘I’ve travelled a lot with boxing,’ Charles told Mail Sport. ‘I’ve done fights in most parts of the world. I’m very observant when I’m away and I saw a sandpit in one of the gyms I went to. I always thought, one day I’m going to recreate that.

“We do tons of drills in the same thing. I have boxers go out there and shadow box barefoot. Imagine trying to run on the beach. It’s hard work. So imagine trying to do a bunch of drills here. It’s hard work.

“My boxers can shadowbox for half an hour in there. By the time they’re done, their legs are like jelly. But once you’re in the gym, you float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.”

The Farm Gym isn’t all blood, sweat and tears though. Behind the gym, past the training facilities, lies a pastoral oasis: a quiet paddock where horses graze peacefully.

Here Daniel finds a moment of peace amidst the chaos of his training schedule. After a particularly tough session he often heads to the paddock to relax and connect with the horses.

His coach, Don Charles, often speaks of this dichotomy, arguing that the gym is a place of pure, unfiltered guts, while the horse pasture provides a peaceful haven where Dubois can relax and reflect.

Incidentally, it is here that Dubois likes to eat his lunch, which has been prepared for some time by his father Dave Dubois, a former street vendor at Camden Market who flew to New York in the 1980s to sell posters and make a million dollars in one go.

Dubois’ father slaves over a hot stove for hours, cooking his son macro-hitting meals to help build his strength and stamina and keep him lean. But what’s on the menu? Well, spiciness is key, but it ranges from Jamaican classics to Caribbean delights.

“He’s a very disciplined person when he’s not boxing. You never read about Daniel Dubois going to nightclubs, causing mayhem, drinking, smoking, none of that. He eats well. His father prepares all his meals. They’re all home-cooked meals. Everything is home-cooked.

“He comes from a very strict background. His father is very, very, very strict with him. Always has been with all of his children, not just Daniel, and that’s the product of that. He’s a very, very disciplined person, and that’s why.

“As far as the muscle growth, you have to remember he’s maturing. He just turned 27, last week or so. So there’s the maturity and when you’re a human being, a man, you grow. I know when I was 27, I was in the best physical shape of my life.”

After an intense training session, Dubois calms his mind and body by immersing himself in the on-site ice bath. The cold helps soothe sore muscles and speed recovery before he returns to his quarters.

Since Dubois usually trains abroad for a fight, he had developed a similar routine in the UK, staying away from home and making sure he could fully concentrate on the task at hand.