How pub row led to Anthony Joshua threatening to ‘smash a f***ing chair’ over Daniel Dubois ahead of Wembley fight

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S summer of spite toward Daniel Dubois was sparked by a row down the pub.

The clean-cut, multimillionaire golden boy – who used to down Mad Dog 2020 alcopops en route to nightclubs as an unknown teen – keeps in touch with his community now by still dipping into the local haunts.

These days the 34-year-old reformed bad-boy bricklayer only does his fighting in the ring and conducts himself like a true ambassador of British sport.

But the week before the June 26 launch press conference for Saturday night’s IBF world title war, a local loudmouth tried to take a liberty and the old ‘Femi’ from the Meriden Estate, who once struck fear around North London, was forced into a comeback that Dubois will now face the full force of.

We were stunned when during their first media event, Joshua threatened to “smash this f***ing chair” over Dubois’ face, after he felt the 27-year-old disrespected him.

But it turned out the uncharacteristic threat of violence was a calculated move from the chess fan, after a row down the boozer brought out the beast.

In his funniest and most open chat with the British boxing media, the superstar reminded us that he’s still just the lad next door – who can really swing a bit.

Grinning widely, he explained: “I was in the pub the week before. Obviously I’m not around as much, there’s a new generation coming through.

“One little kid – well, I’m 35, he’s probably 30-something – thought he could say something.

“His mate tried to show him something, and he said: ‘I don’t give a f*** if AJ is here.’ I said: ‘What?! Don’t ever think you can talk like that.’

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“You can’t let anyone think they can speak to you in a certain way.

“Because at the pub, there’s other people who are looking at this person talking to me like that.

“F*** boxing, you know who I am and you know what I’m about, so don’t ever think you can disrespect me – because it won’t end well for you.

“So, we draw a line under that. Then, the week after, Dubois tried to get mouthy!

“So, I’m still in the mindset where you don’t let anyone think that they can take an inch.

“So, ‘Dan, I’m gonna put a stop to you there, I will smash this f***ing chair across your face, and I’ll ram the f***ing pole down your throat!’

“You have to let someone know that you’re not f***ing about, and hopefully that will ripple out to everyone else.

“I don’t want any problems, but I’m in an industry where I’m fighting.

“I’m not in golf, I’m not playing tennis, I’m in a sport with men with testosterone – gladiators that will take any opportunity to try to belittle you and test your toughness.

“It was calculated, it all stemmed from the week before. It wasn’t sporadic.

“ I just realised: you can’t let anyone get an upper hand on you.”

When SunSport asked if the London 2012 icon stopped the incident escalating to protect a front page scandal, he laughed us off: “Me? Me, leave? No way!

“I’d get a call ‘AJ, I had a phone call from The Sun about this thing that happened in the pub.'”

Joshua spent time on remand in Reading prison before he turned his life around with a visit to Finchley ABC gym aged 18.

He has since barely raised his voice outside the ring, let alone his fists.

The emotional breakdown after the second Oleksandr Usyk defeat was a vulnerable human opening up, not lashing out.

But under the Hollywood smile and squeaky-clean reputation lies the fearless brawler whose hands still carry the giant callouses earned on cobbles, not canvas.

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS DANIEL DUBOIS: All the information you need ahead of huge world title fight at Wembley

“I’m a nice person,” he grinned. “But honestly, I’ll switch as well. So, you pick what side of the fence you want to sit on.

“Most people are alright with me, but I will definitely go to extremes that I don’t think they’re ready for.

“It’s up to them which way they wanna do it.”

Earlier in fight week, after the ultra-violent feng shui was shelved, Joshua gave twice-beaten Dubois credit.

Big Josh gave his rival a glowing comparison to Frank Bruno, whose tear-soaked 1995 Wembley world title win – at the fourth-time of trying – made him a national treasure.

But, when asked for his mirror image from that star-studded heavyweight golden era, he gave himself a far more menacing and dominant force who came within seconds of destroying his own legendary Wembley night in 2017.

“If he’s Frank Bruno,” he paused. “I’m Wladimir Klitschko: had a few setbacks, rebuilt, came back stronger, getting better with time, found a new trainer, went through different stages in my career – a learning process – to now being at uni.

“That’s what they say about Emmanuel Steward: it was like going to uni. So yeah, I feel like Wladimir Klitschko.”

It sounds like Dubois is in serious need of back-up.

But new trainer Don Charles – who got great comebacks out of the psychologically fragile hulk in the most recent wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic – has been missing all week.

The Pug Gym trainer is at war with Dubois’ overbearing father – and now official British Boxing Board of Control licensed manager – Stan.

Hall-of-Famer promoter Frank Warren is working hard to make sure his 6ft 5in, 17st knockout machine – with the timid demeanour of a polite boy – has proper support for the biggest fight of his life.

But AJ is again flowing with compliments as he says his old sparring partner will not crumble under the expectation of 96,000 fans and one pushy parent.

“I think he’s gonna be fine,” he said. “Honestly. He’ll be fine. You have no other choice but to rise to the occasion, unfortunately.

“You’ve come this far, he’s walked out at Tottenham, he’s walked out in Poland, he’ll walk out in Wembley.

“The thing is, once that first bell goes, you’re in the fight, and it doesn’t matter anymore about anything.”