Oleksandr Usyk made his second successive defense of the belt tonight in Poland as he successfully stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round. This will take his record to 21-0 with 14 career knockouts as he hands Dubois the second defeat of his career.
Oleksandr Usyk Remains Dominant, Stops Dubois
AND STILL 🏆🏆🏆@Usykaa retains his heavyweight titles with a knockout in round 9. #UsykDubois pic.twitter.com/XdIoJlq7SN
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) August 26, 2023
The fight went the way people expected it to in many ways yet in others it did not. There was no surprise with the boxing ability of the pair with Usyk clearly being the superior boxer in terms of skill set. While Dubois only weighed in 5 kg heavier than the Ukrainian it was clear that he held a massive advantage in power which he utilised well during the fight. Unable to find the head of Usyk or move out of the way of the constant jabs that were being thrown by the champion, Dubois began to throw more and more shots to the body as the rounds progressed, this culminated in the 5th round which will likely be the most talked about punches in the fight and in heavyweight boxing overall for the foreseeable future.
The Controversy
“I’ve been cheated out of victory”
Daniel Dubois reacts to the controversial shot that was called a low blow where Usyk took four minutes to recover 🗣
Do you believe it was a legal shot? 🤔
🎬 @boxingontnt #UsykDubois | #DanielDubois | #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/SZmSU1fB1b
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) August 26, 2023
A punch from Dubois to the midsection of Usyk clearly hurt the champion in the 5th round, Referee Luis Pabon ruled the punch a low blow and stopped the fight for several minutes to allow Usyk to recover. This decision for the punch to be ruled as a low blow was controversial as many fans and commentators alike declared their belief that the punch was on and above the beltline and that Dubois had been robbed of a 5th round stoppage victory. What generated even more controversy was Usyk directly telling referee Luis Pabon that he was fit to continue and the referee making him take even more time to recover despite his protests with the champion getting 3 and a half minutes to recover from the shot. When looking at the shot in slow motion it is somewhat unclear as to whether the punch can be considered below the belt or not, travelling in an uppercut motion the punch appears to be a guaranteed low blow until the trajectory changes slightly. Ultimately though, Usyk would survive the rest of the round.
The Shift
The rest of the fight would take a dramatic shift. From the 6th round onward, it was clear that Usyk respected the power of Dubois even more so than before and was treating him as a real threat. With the punches of Dubois continuing to be aimed towards Usyk’s body, the Ukrainian began to step up his own offense, producing more power punches and stalking his prey around the ring, clearly not willing to take too many more shots to the midsection from the powerful Englishman.
The step up in volume would take its toll on Dubois, who was knocked down by a combo from Usyk, right at the end of the 8th round. The start of the 9th saw Usyk pick up exactly where he left off as he used his superior fitness to chase Dubois around the ring and would ultimately cause Dubois to be sent crashing to the canvas. Whether he thought that he had no chance to win or was genuinely hurt, Dubois made no attempt to rise to the 10 count and the fight ended in a KO win for Usyk.
It remains unclear what is next for Usyk. His longtime potential opponent, Tyson Fury, will be occupied with his bout against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou until at least October while there is no real desire to see him square off against Anthony Joshua for a third time. With the many critics and doubters that will certainly arise due to the 5th round controversy in this fight, a rematch could certainly be on the cards in the future.
