Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois had to be led apart after a fiery pre-fight interview.

Joshua and Dubois have faced off at a launch press conference as they prepare to go head-to-head in the ring for the IBF heavyweight world title on September 21.

Tensions spilled over as Joshua and Dubois clashed

The pair met in a face-off in front of the famous Wembley Stadium arch and things got extremely fiery as the Britons stepped forward to share a staredown.

AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn was present and described the fiery altercation which nearly saw the pair come to blows.

“People have got into him to be more vocal,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground.

“It was at the end of the face-to-face. Somebody said ‘September 21 and not before’.

“Daniel said ‘if you want to go now I’ll go now as well’. AJ then replied ‘Do you want me to smash this chair across your face?

“He said ‘Don’t ever disrespect me like that again’. They were all pulled apart, there wasn’t any punches thrown.

“When you say that to AJ he is a bad man, it was a really good face-off.”

Joshua then added to reporters: “We had a bit of aggro, it’s good. There are two aspects to it, the competitive side, the Queensbury Rules of boxing.

The pair shared a fiery staredownCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

“But there is also the instinct that one has, as a fighter. And that is just how it is.

“Before I boxed, I was a good fighter, that’s an instinct you have when someone calls you out. He said ‘let’s go now’. And I said: ‘let’s go then’. No security, I just stepped away, I thought I would be the bigger man.”

Joshua has rarely come into an altercation with opponents at a face-off, but has previously clashed with rivals Jarrell Miller and Dillian Whyte at press conferences.

Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren went on to give his point of view on the altercation, concluding: “It just nearly went off upstairs but you will have to wait until the film goes out to see it.

“It was quite lively. It was genuine, there is genuine animosity.

“There’s pressure on both of them but the pressure is on AJ. They didn’t shake hands.”

It is a high-stakes clash with AJ looking to become a three-time heavyweight champion against a domestic rival in the national stadium.

Dubois was upgraded to world champion before a punch was thrown, after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF strap following his undisputed win over Tyson Fury in May.

Promoters Hearn and Warren were present and described the situationCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

‘Dynamite’ has been in brilliant form earning his title after back-to-back wins over Jarrell Miller and most recently Filip Hrgovic in June.

Equally Joshua has been impressive having beaten Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in statement stoppages, and will go into the contest as the marginal favourite.

But ex-world champion Tony Bellew believes the contest will be one-sided in favour of the former Olympic gold medallist.

He said: “Everything Dubois is good at, AJ is a bit better at. And he also has a defence.

“AJ’s a freak. AJ’s the best athlete the heavyweight division’s probably ever had as an athletic specimen.

“If you put AJ in a 100m race [against the other heavyweights], lifting weights, how far he can jump, how high he can jump – I promise you he’d win the lot.

“It’s just getting all that package put into one. As for AJ vs Dubois, I think if that fight gets made it’s over inside two rounds.

“I think he won’t miss him. As long as Joshua goes in with the same attitude that he went in with against Francis Ngannou, it’s over in two rounds.

“I don’t see any other outcome.”