IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has a rare shot at glory—an opportunity few ever receive. On July 19th, the 27-year-old will face former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium in England. The two previously clashed in August 2023, a bout marred by controversy that continues to spark debate.
In the fifth round of their fight, ‘DDD’ landed a low-blow that sent the Ukrainian crashing onto the canvas, writhing in pain. The referee gave Usyk time to recover, and he made a comeback to end the fight via 9th-round knockout. Even though a couple of years have passed since then, many debate that it was a legal blow and Dubois should have been given the win. Now, with their rematch looming, can ‘Triple D’ correct the wrong?
Coach James Ali Bashir, who has trained both men at different points in time, has shared his verdict on the matter. While appearing in an interview with Seconds Out recently, the 68-year-old said, “Well, it’s hard to say.” He addressed the massive backing for Usyk, but highlighted Dubois’ growth as a boxer since his loss to Usyk.
Boxing conference Usyk-Dubois Warszawa 10.07.2023 Oleksandr Usyk i Daniel Dubois podczas konferencji prasowej przed sierpniowa walka we Wroclawiu. n/z Oleksandr Usyk,Image: 788285474, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jacek Szydlowski / Forum Warsaw, July 10, 2023 Aleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois during the press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the August fight in Wroc³aw. 788285474 PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxPOL 0788285474
“Dubois is coming off three fights that he won impressively. He didn’t just win—he won impressively,” Bashir noted, highlighting the British fighter’s recent momentum. However, he still could not pick a winner definitively. “He knows he’s got to win this fight because he’ll never get another chance,” Bashir said, underlining the stakes for Dubois.
As for what to expect on fight night, he predicted, “He’s going to go out there and fight like he’s never fought before,” concluding, “It’s going to be a very, very, very complex fight.” Dubois defeated Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua in his last three fights—all via knockouts, which fueled his rise to the top.
Meanwhile, Usyk is coming off two back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury. Not to forget, Bashir trained the Ukrainian from December 2013 to February 2017, guiding him through 10 bouts. He later joined Dubois’ training camp in 2023 as a key member under head trainer Don Charles, preparing Dubois for his August 2023 fight against Usyk in Poland.
While Bashir remains indecisive about who will win the fight, this promoter seems confident.
Frank Warren isn’t worried about Daniel Dubois being the underdog in the Oleksandr Usyk fight
Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, isn’t spending his days worrying about his fighter being the underdog in the upcoming fight. Even though Usyk is one of the pound-for-pound greats, Warren thinks Dubois is right where he needs to be. “He’s not been a favorite going into his last four fights. Make that five fights because the bookmakers are making Usyk the favorite,” Warren told Queensberry Promotions.
2023.08.24 Wroclaw Konferencja prasowa przed gala Knockout Boxing Night: Usyk – Dubois Konferencja prasowa przed gala Knockout Boxing Night: Usyk – Dubois N/z Oleksandr Usyk Foto Mateusz Porzucek PressFocus 2023.08.24 Wroclaw press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before Knockout Boxing Night: Usyk – Dubois Federation Konferencja prasowa przed gala Knockout Boxing Night: Usyk – Dubois Oleksandr Usyk Credit: Mateusz Porzucek PressFocus /NEWSPIX.PL — Newspix.pl PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxPOL 20230824PF_MP025
With the odds-defying performances his boxer has been showcasing in his last few fights, the subject of who the favorite is and who the underdog is doesn’t matter to the English promoter. “I ain’t worried about that, and he’s not worried about it. He’s in a good place of mind, believes in himself and his ability as we do. That’s why we’ve made the fight,” he said. If Dubois manages to win the fight, he will be the first English boxer to attain the undisputed title since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
That said, even seasoned experts are struggling to confidently predict who will come out on top in this high-stakes clash. Still, Frank Warren believes Daniel Dubois will continue his streak of surprising performances. Do you agree?
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