Joshua and Dubois posed for a face-to-face at Monday’s media day in London’s stylish Old Billingsgate venue, with Tower Bridge providing an iconic backdrop, to kick off fight week.

The more experienced Joshua – who will headline a UK stadium fight for the sixth time – relaxed into his press commitments throughout the day.

After a menacing stare-down, Joshua headed towards a crowd and posed for photos, even agreeing to a request for a hug from a fan.

Meanwhile, a pensive Dubois appeared a little eager to get the media formalities out of the way.

It was their first meeting since a news conference in June, when a behind-closed-doors face-off earlier in the day resulted in Joshua threatening to throw a chair at Dubois.

“I was just basically saying ‘stay in your lane’. I don’t expect respect from him but I’m ready to earn my respect from him,” Joshua reflected on the confrontation.

Joshua has the opportunity to join heavyweight legends Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko in becoming a three-time world champion.

The long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury might also be on the horizon, but Joshua is refusing to overlook the hard-hitting Dubois.

“He is a good fighter, a brilliant fighter,” Joshua said. “Everyone speaks highly of him. I think they underestimate me as well, so I will go out there and prove how good I am.”