Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois Fight Preview
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
By Sina Latif
Follow @Frontproofmedia!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id))(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');
Published: August 25, 2023
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois Fight Preview
Following the failure to finalize the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undisputed super-fight, Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) will be defending his unified heavyweight titles against WBA mandatory challenger and rising heavyweight star, Daniel Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) on Saturday August 26 at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland, during the week of Ukrainian Independence Day.
This fight for the WBA, IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles airs on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK and ESPN+ in the US.
This will be the first heavyweight title fight of 2023 and, therefore, is one for boxing fans to look forward to in anticipation.
A 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Usyk made his professional debut in November 2013. After winning the WBO cruiserweight title in September 2016 with a unanimous decision win against Krzysztof Glowacki, Usyk made a fast climb towards history. In the World Boxing Super Series, Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis via majority decision for the WBC cruiserweight title in January 2018, then beat Murat Gassiev in the final via unanimous decision in July 2018 for the WBA, IBF, and Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
After moving up to heavyweight in 2019 and having two warm-up fights against Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora, Usyk dethroned unified champion Anthony Joshua in September 2021.
Against Dubois, Usyk will be making the second defense of his unified crown. The Ukrainian southpaw won the rematch against Joshua and added the Ring Magazine belt to his heavyweight collection in his first defense. In this rematch, Usyk proved he has the minerals and intangibles to match his undoubted pugilistic mastery as he dug deep to overcome a determined Joshua. In the ninth round, Joshua unleashed hell and had Usyk scrambling around the ring as the Ukrainian was dragged into deep waters before Usyk showed his class by coming out in the 10th and taking it to another level, one which Joshua could not keep up with. Usyk turned up the pace and tempo even further, enjoying his own best round of the fight as he detonated a high volume of power punches from all angles.
After turning professional in 2017, Dubois’ self-confidence will have undoubtedly plummeted, with the Brit gaining a sense of invincibility built against men who never had a chance. In November 2020, Dubois had a rude awakening behind closed doors and under Covid restrictions.
Dubois was unbeaten in 15 fights and was coming up against fellow unbeaten Brit Joe Joyce. Dubois had stopped 14 of his 15 previous opponents. Coming up against Joyce proved to be a big mistake, though. Dubois took a knee in round 10 with a badly swollen left eye.
Since that loss, however, Dubois is on a four-fight knockout win streak. Dubois’ June 2022 knockout of Trevor Bryan earned him the lightly regarded WBA Regular title.
Despite being the WBA mandatory challenger, the majority of the boxing fraternity is not giving Dubois anything more than a puncher’s chance against one of the most skillful boxers of the modern era. Dubois seems ill-equipped ahead of Saturday night when he will be sharing the ring with the formidable Usyk.
Dubois believes he has more than a mere puncher’s chance in this fight. Speaking to iFL TV, Dubois said: “People don’t give me enough credit. They just say ‘he’s got a puncher’s chance’ but I’m going to show them all that I can box as well, I can move. I’ve been up in altitude, so I’ve been working on a lot more than just throwing punches, or looking for one lucky shot.”
Dubois is viewed by many fans, media, and analysts alike as one of the brightest young talents in the heavyweight division, one tipped for success due to his thunderous knockout power. However, this may be another classic case of “Levels” in boxing. A bright, young prospect is coming up against a generational great and one of the supreme pound-for-pound fighters of this generation.
This opportunity has come early for Dubois. When you compare the achievements of the two heavyweights on paper, it is hard to think of another sport that would pit two such mismatched competitors together and have the audacity to label it as a world championship contest. In terms of experience, Usyk and Dubois are worlds apart. Usyk is obviously at the world championship level, and Dubois may also reach that level one day, but right now, the gap is too vast, and it is difficult to imagine them competing as equals.
The 6ft5 Dubois will be hoping to join the likes of Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, David Haye, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua in the list of British heavyweight champions.
It’s a big ask and would be arguably one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history, but upsets do happen. No one would have expected Buster Douglas to defeat Mike Tyson or Leon Spinks to beat Muhammad Ali. The unexpected is what makes boxing such a captivating sport.
There is no getting away from the fact that the gulf in class and talent between Usyk and Dubois would make a Dubois win one of the biggest upsets ever. Dubois’ only chance of success appears to be whether he can use his size, youth, and power to overcome Usyk’s superior technical brilliance, experience, and every other conceivable advantage, and the odds are not in favor of the Brit.
Until very recently, Usyk was viewed as the number one pound-for-pound pugilist in the world. After becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion, the Ukrainian had become a pound-for-pound entrant. He then cemented his greatness with back-to-back wins against Joshua.
Joshua has superior mobility, boxing IQ, pedigree, and experience to Dubois, and Usyk still handily defeated Joshua twice. This does not bode well as far as Dubois’ chances in this matchup.
Of course, styles make fights, but is Dubois’ style the one to dethrone Usyk? Dubois has a traditional jab-right hand, jab-jab right-hand style, which can be effective but is also very predictable for a fighter with the IQ and know-how of Usyk. Dubois does not possess the different rhythms, with a variety of angles and combinations which would trouble Usyk.
Furthermore, Dubois will also have to contend with what is likely to be a very pro-Usyk crowd, in excess of 40,000, in Poland and his first fight with a new coach after replacing trainer Shane McGuigan with Don Charles.
Usyk, always professional and disciplined, does not seem in the mood to be complacent heading into this showdown. Speaking of Dubois on Top Rank Boxing’s YouTube channel, Usyk said: “He’s (Dubois) a good fighter. Young guy. Very motivated, but I respect Daniel and his team.”
Experience is the best teacher. This is all very new to Dubois. As new as this is to Dubois, it is just as old to Usyk. However new it is to Dubois, this alone won’t be enough to stop him from landing a single fight-ending shot, which he is capable of, but it will certainly affect his approach towards landing that shot. Dubois’ uncertainty about how to land that punch may create the kind of doubts in his head as the fight progresses, which would have never been present had the fight happened at the right time.
Dubois cannot be faulted for taking this opportunity to contest for the unified heavyweight titles. In the unpredictable world of boxing, such opportunities are never guaranteed. It cannot be denied that stepping in the ring with Usyk right now will be the deepest waters Dubois will have ever entered.
Will Usyk remind everyone why he has long been regarded as one of the pound-for-pound supremes in boxing, or will we witness one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport? It’s these sorts of questions that make fights like this unmissable.
(Featured Photo: Piotr Duszczyk)
0 notes