“Was it an illegal blow? Of course it wasn’t. It was definitely a body shot. It landed on the button. I felt the connection. But, yeah, they just nicked it from us, didn’t they?” While talking to DAZN a year ago, Daniel Dubois was still stuck on that low blow controversy in the Oleksandr Usyk bout in August 2023 that he felt had robbed him of a win. His camp has continued to bring up the accusation in the lead-up to the rematch, with Dubois’ trainer Don Charles even stating last month that Usyk should be “given an Oscar for that performance.” Meanwhile, the unified heavyweight champion has defended himself against the accusations, stating it was, in fact, a low blow. However, amidst the drama, with the Ukrainian now stepping in to face Daniel Dubois again on July 19 at Wembley Stadium, a fellow pound-for-pound great, Terence Crawford, has weighed in with a clear stance on the controversy, as well as the result of the rematch.
Recently, the WBA and WBO interim light middleweight champion, Terence Crawford, appeared on the Ring Champs with Ak & Barak podcast on YouTube. Among other topics of discussion, the upcoming Usyk-Dubois showdown took some space. Given Bud Crawford’s closeness with Oleksandr Usyk, Barak asked the pound-for-pound great about who would emerge as the undisputed heavyweight champion in the upcoming rematch. “Usyk, hands down,” Crawford replied immediately.
Terence Crawford is with Oleksandr Usyk all the way
When Barak asked if he’d watched the first fight, though, the 41-0 southpaw stood heavy on his stance. “It was a low blow. Usyk!” he asserted. But somehow, the host wasn’t convinced. When asked if Terence Crawford really believed that it was a low blow, the Omaha native cut him and repeated, “Usyk!” The two division undisputed champion’s conviction was unshakable, earning a chuckle from Reyes, who noted Crawford’s clear allegiance to Usyk. “Usyk will win!” he predicted boldly in one line.
Usyk v Dubois Boxing Fight Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk during the boxing fight for the WBA, WBO, IBF, belts between Oleksandr Usyk UKR vs Daniel Dubois GBR in Wroclaw, Poland, August 26, 2023. Wroclaw Poland PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xAndrzejxIwanczukx originalFilename:iwanczuk-usykvsdu230826_npxIb.jpg
He asked the 37-year-old to truthfully answer if he believed the Ukrainian would win against Tyson Fury twice last year. “Usyk,” said Crawford. “I picked him both times.” When pushed for an explanation, Crawford shared, “Both times. I knew the movement was going to give Tyson Fury problems. Tyson Fury is a great heavyweight champion, but he never was fighting people that’s as elusive as him.“
Crawford’s confidence in Usyk’s skillset paints the Ukrainian as the superior fighter, even against the division’s biggest names.
Daniel Dubois ready to overthrow the heavyweight king
Just hours ago, Talk Sport got the chance to take a sneak peek into Daniel Dubois’s barn in Hell Street, where he trains. When the interviewer asked the IBF heavyweight champion what he thinks about the low-blow chapter now that he’ll be going in for an undisputed fight this time, the Greenwich native replied, “I don’t think nothing about it. It happened…I learned from that experience. Now I’m a different fighter…Get ready for the greatest victory in boxing.“
“Going forward I feel even stronger…I’m in my prime, my career now, so it’s now or never,” said Dubois, referring to the three victories he’s made since losing to Usyk. The recent one was a knockout victory over the former unified champion Anthony Joshua, and the other two were against Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller. With that, he must surely be feeling confident to bring a different outcome this time when he shares the ring with Oleksandr Usyk.
“I’m ready to go back into the lines,” Dubois concluded on what’s to come—a fight where both boxers need to go all in. Although prepared, Dubois is still a major underdog, and the results could mean Oleksandr Usyk becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. Yet, it’s only a matter of time before the fight happens at the Wembley Stadium in the U.K., and fans get to watch the new champion rise to his throne. Do you agree with Terence Crawford? Who are you siding with – Usyk or Dubois?
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