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

Tensions rose when Dubois told Joshua that he was more than ready to ‘go now’ if he ‘wants to swing’.

‘Shut up, relax,’ Joshua responded. ‘I’ll throw this f***ing chair across your face. Don’t disrespect me.’

Dubois attempted to remain calm, saying: ‘You can’t intimidate me, who do you think you are?’

That comment got Joshua out of his seat with the pair having to be separated by security as Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn watched on.

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

Joshua twice threatened to hurl a chair at his opponent as the interview quickly turned sour

‘Daniel don’t disrespect me or I’ll put this f***ing chair through your face,’ Joshua continued.

‘Warn this little boy not to disrespect me. I don’t take disrespect lightly you know. Don’t sit on the table telling me we can go now, telling me this and that.

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

‘Wembley Stadium will be sold out in no time. Who won’t want to see two British giants with massive punching power go at each other. It’s what heavyweight boxing is all about.

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

The flare up came in the corridors of Wembley Arena after Oleksandr Usyk gifted Joshua the chance to become a three-time world heavyweight champion by taking on this Battle of Britain.

Usyk sent a video message to the pair, both of whom he has beaten – AJ twice – en route to becoming the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

He said: ‘My friends The IBF title is my present to you,’

It was revealed on Wednesday Joshua and Dubois will face off for the IBF belt on September 21

But his gesture in vacating that alpha-belt denies Tyson Fury the chance of finally becoming the undisputed world champion in their December rematch in Saudi Arabia.

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

But if the Gypsy King is ever to scoop the pool he will have to avenge his defeat by 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 highly motivated in December without the lure of the ultimate prize.

Dubois cut short a Brazilian holiday on Rio’s bikini laden Copacabana Beach to fly home to this showdown.

He found out that the IBF had promoted him from interim to full world champion when he switched on his mobile phone upon landing.

‘I saw the news on social media’ he said. ‘In a way I would have preferred to win the title in the ring. But I’ll take care of that by beating AJ’.

The IBF had been agonising over whether to strip Usyk of their belt and thereby break up the first undisputed championship battle for almost two decades. Ukraine’s idol simplified that decision.

Dubois explained how he had been ‘dreaming every night’ about knocking his fellow Brit out

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

Dubois also simplified their decision with his sensational knock out of their mandatory contender Filip Hrgovic. Usyk’s ‘present’ enabled the IBF to sanction Joshua v Dubois.

Money-pulling power is how the posters label that fight but in fact Joshua will be the challenger.