Nathan Gorman aiming to do to Daniel Dubois what Ruiz did to Joshua

Like boxing’s man of the hour Andy Ruiz Jr, British heavyweight prospect Nathan Gorman has never been complimented on his physique.

Gorman, 22, doesn’t have quite the rotund build of Ruiz — he’s a bit taller and a bit slimmer, just differently built — but the fighter from Nantwich, England, has certainly heard before that he doesn’t have the muscular makeup of a modern heavyweight star.

Even recently, his July 13 opponent Daniel Dubois called Gorman “slobby.” But after Ruiz stopped Anthony Joshua this past Saturday night, Dubois and others may be rethinking how much that matters.

As for Gorman (16-0, 11 KO), he took a little inspiration from Ruiz’s big win.

“Turns out chiseled muscles aren’t everything,” he said, but he also doesn’t expect Dubois (11-0, 10 KO) to actually underestimate him.

“He knows at the bottom of his heart that I am no easy fight, that is guaranteed. It’s nonsense to call me ‘slobby.’ My slobby style is going to beat him. And when the referee raises my hand I will say to Daniel, ‘You lost to a slob.’”

Gorman also says it doesn’t really bother him if people criticize his appearance.

“I take it with a pinch of salt when people mention my body definition,” he said. “If it was bodybuilding competition, Daniel would be Mr. Olympia, but it is a fight, and if there is one thing I can do well, it is fight. You don’t have to be body beautiful to win a world title. Andy Ruiz Jr proved that.”

Dubois and Gorman meet for the vacant British heavyweight title on July 13 in London, a highly-anticipated matchup of prospects. The fights will air on BT Sport in the UK and ESPN+ in the US.