The IBF world champion was forced to withdraw from his clash with Joseph Parker last month due to illness, and his trainer has opened up about the financial implication.

Don Charles told Sky Sports: "We had to do the smart thing. I also remind the audience this was Daniel Dubois' highest pay to date in his professional career. His career-highest purse.

"Three and a half months of sheer hard work and the money that it costs to do a camp of that magnitude.

"We then went all the way to Riyadh, 48 hours before he's due to fight he showed signs of illness.

"It cost him money. To do a three and half month camp at this level, it costs a lot of money. So he's lost all that. The whole team, we're gutted."

The fight was due to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 22 before the sudden illness ruled him out.

Charles said: "We did the right thing. Every day I wake up, I know we did the right thing.

"You have to sometimes save fighters from themselves. Daniel wanted to fight. They are gladiators. They want to fight.

"I don't think it's wise thing in a championship fight to go and take that chance of if you don't blow Parker out in the first half of the fight, who's to say because you're ill, illness doesn't kick in."

And the trainer pushed back against critics arguing he should have gone ahead with the fight or that he "ducked it".

He added: "Why would you then go to all the trouble of an expensive camp, travel to Riyadh and then opt not to fight? For what?

"Let me tell you something about the human race - they want blood. We're still bloodthirsty.

"It's back in the medieval days, they're still thirsting for blood. Somebody's blood. That's what that's all about."