Anthony Joshua sets the record straight on infamous sparring session after onlooker claims Daniel Dubois turned his legs to "jelly" 

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois' rivalry is heating up ahead of their boxing encounter on Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom. Their infamous sparring session in 2016 has been the core of the rivalry, particularly after claims that Dubois turned Joshua’s legs to “jelly” with a powerful punch.

The sparring session in question took place at the GB Performance Institute in Sheffield in 2016. At that time Dubois was an 18-year-old prospect and Joshua was a seasoned contender. Anthony Fowler, who witnessed the sparring session, described a moment where Dubois landed a short left hook that made Joshua’s legs go weak, but he chose not to capitalize on the opportunity.

Joshua has now set the record straight on the sparring session by countering some of the circulating narratives. In an interview with Sky Sports, Joshua downplayed the intensity of the sparring session, stating:

"I don't know where this whole narrative of someone turning my lights off came from. There were a lot of people in the gym that day as well. And people have come out and said, 'Nah, nothing [happened]. But anyway, people say what they say. With me, there's always been like an inch that makes a mile. But it's all good." [H/t: The Sun]

When asked if he was upset that the unwritten rule of keeping sparring sessions private had been breached, he responded:

"I just don't expect anything from anyone. People are entitled to talk about sparring, people are entitled to not talk about sparring. I just got to make sure that I handle my own corner."

Catch Anthony Joshua's comments below:

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Anthony Joshua reveals motivation that fuels him ahead of upcoming fight against Daniel Dubois

UK boxing star Anthony Joshua's drive to succeed stems from a desire to support charities and create a lasting positive impact. For Joshua, his career is now a platform to be a part of a larger purpose and his focus has shifted to leveraging his success for the greater good.

Joshua will take on Daniel Dubois on Sept. 21 in his thirteenth world title fight. Previewing the clash and speaking about his motivation in a recent interview with DAZN, Joshua said:

"One of the main reason right now is my community. I want to fight for charities because I want to set up sustainable charities...I believe in sustainability and creating an ecosystem and I fight now not just for myself. I have everything I need, not in the sense that I’ve got everything I need, but I’m quite settled with what I need. I’m good, I’m happy... So it’s more so now, we’re trying to create something to help other people. So when I fight, I’m fighting with the spirit of thousands of people that I’m trying to help behind me. So it’s just not for myself.”

Catch Joshua's comments below: (10:45):