By: Sean Crose
Before this weekend he was seen as just about being the highest canine within the heavyweight division. Holding three of it’s 4 main titles, Oleksandr Usyk was seen as the person desperate to unify the heavyweight crown. The solely different main titleholder, Tyson Fury, in actual fact, appeared lower than enthralled with getting within the ring along with his fellow titlist. It wasn’t Usyk’s fault, so the reasoning went, that Fury didn’t desire a piece of him. While Fury was making ready to face one other of the limitless array of UFC stars who wish to attempt their palms at boxing, Usyk not less than was dealing with an precise contender, Daniel Dubois.
Few gave Dubois an opportunity when he stepped into the ring final Saturday night time in Poland to tackle Ukraine’s Usyk. Dubois, in spite of everything, wasn’t undefeated, as Usyk was. What’s extra, Dubois had been knocked out by fellow contender Joe Joyce not all that way back. Usyk’s document, however, was excellent. What’s extra, he had defeated the lauded Anthony Joshua twice on prime of beforehand having been topped the undisputed cruiserweight division king. Again, all of it appeared as if it might be a simple night time’s work for the likeable Usyk.
That didn’t show to be the case. Although Usyk received by ninth spherical knockout after having beforehand dropped his man within the eighth, Dubois had clearly travelled to Poland to win. He was within the struggle from starting to finish and, though he misplaced, Dubois proved capable of land successfully on skillmeister Usyk…a powerful feat. It was one in all Dubois’ punches, nonetheless, which turned what was mainly a hard-earned however one sided victory for Usyk right into a popularity damaging set off of controversy. By the fifth spherical, it was clear Dubois was using his spectacular physique assault to weaken the defending champion. One powerfully delivered proper, nonetheless, landed low. Suffice to say, Usyk went down.
Referee Luis Pabon dominated the shot a low blow and gave Usyk time to get well. And, at that very second, the narrative round Usyk modified. Word is now out that, as a result of truth a lot of Dubois’ glove landed on Usyk’s beltline, that Usyk was dropped by a physique shot moderately than by a low blow – and was then given time to get well by Pabon. Whether or not that is all true seems to be as much as the person to determine (I noticed the struggle reside and thought the shot was low whereas the good friend watching it with me thought Dubois was finished soiled).
Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, is prepared to take issues up with the World Boxing Association, the group via which Dubois was capable of change into Usyk’s obligatory opponent. “I’d like them to declare it a no contest,” Warren said to talkSPORT, “because Daniel should have those three belts around his waist, but if we can get it to a rematch then that’s where we’ll get to…the game plan out there was to go to his (Usyk’s) body because he definitely has a weakness to his body… but he’s going to have to do more than that the next time he fights him.”
