Daniel Dubois has vowed to stop Anthony Joshua to silence critics of his heavyweight style.

Dubois came under fire after his thrilling win over Filip Hrgovic, given he went toe-to-toe with the Croatian in a brutal war with both fighters absorbing some big shots.

Dubois and Joshua will come to blows next monthCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

He will now defend his IBF title, which he received in the aftermath, in a huge showdown with British rival Joshua on September 21 at Wembley Stadium.

‘Dynamite’ has turned around question marks of his defence into positives, insisting that Joshua may not have been able to walk through the powerful punches of Hrgovic.

He said in an interview with Queensberry Promotions: “I won’t take them shots. Hrgovic is completely different to AJ, the way that he throws his shots is smooth, he is light and he is quick, he doesn’t load up or anything.

“It took me a while to get the hang of it but I found a way to deal with it.

“If you look at the fight properly, I was slipping, just subtly sometimes, doing what I had to do to win.

“That is what I am going to have to do again, break Joshua up, break down what is in front of me and get the victory by any means necessary.

“Could he [Joshua] take them shots that Hrgovic was throwing? Everyone has got an opinion. Let them get on with it.

“Now it is time to do the work and see what they [the naysayers] say after this one. I will win by any means necessary, but a stoppage is definitely what I am after.

“Good stoppage and a statement victory, that’s what I’m all about.”

Dubois will go into the contest as the underdog despite holding the title, with Joshua in scintillating form of his own.

Dubois and Hrgovic took some punishing shotsCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

AJ has three consecutive stoppages including over Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin, and looks back to his ferocious punching style under the stewardship of Ben Davison.

The pair have already come face-to-face during heated exchanges including when tensions rose and the pair nearly came to blows in a sitdown interview.

A huge shot at the winner of Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21 could be at stake in a mega-money clash down the stretch.

Despite playing down question marks over his defensive structure, Dubois’ trainer Don Charles has insisted it is a key factor they will be looking to improve before the big clash.

He said on talkSPORT Breakfast: “We have a lot of work to do.

“The defence, everyone has latched on to that and him getting with right hands. Yes we can see that and we are trying to improve.

“They say ‘he will get knocked out by AJ’ because he is leaking right hands. But in boxing when you throw a right hand, you are also in danger of being hit with one yourself.

“We aren’t ignorant we are going to work on it. He took far too many against Hrgovic.

“That wasn’t the plan, but we will rectify that in the Joshua fight and we are not going to this time.

“This gives us fuel and especially Daniel to prove the critics wrong and deliver the win.”