CROYDON, England — For many fight fans, particularly in the UK, Daniel Dubois is now the “People’s Champ.” The British heavyweight landed a controversial body blow in the fifth round, which sent Usyk sprawling. Ultimately, Usyk defeated Dubois by ninth-round knockout.
“I think the punch was legit, but at the end of the day, it is the referee’s decision. You have to take what it is. I think he gave a good account of himself he just came out unlucky.
The controversial clash occurred on August 26, 2023, in Wroclaw, Poland. Facing an overwhelmingly pro-Ukrainian crowd, Dubois came out with something to prove.
Though Usyk’s superior boxing skills were always going to be an issue for Dubois with 18 KOs across his 19 fights — the younger Dubois also always had a puncher’s chance against Usyk.
In the 5th round, Dubois appeared to floor Usyk with a beltline punch. As Uysk writed in pain for a moment, it looked like Daniel Dubois was the new champion. However, the hit was ruled below the belt by the referee, as Usyk who was given nearly the full five minutes to recover. At one point, the referee, in apparent breach of his neutrality, suggested Usyk take more time to recover.
Usyk recovered and stopped Dubois in the 9th round. He retained his IBF, WBA, and WBO titles and set the stage for a clash with fellow heavyweight champion Tyson Fury early next year in Saudi Arabia. If it doesn’t end in a draw, that fight will produce the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since 1999.
“I respect the man. A great Champ who gave me a hard fight and one I will learn from,” Dubois said on social media after the fight, “But the only hit in the balls last night was the one I suffered when I didn’t get my arm raised after I landed this shot.”
Caroline Dubois represented the United Kingdom in international amateur competitions. A highly regarded boxing prospect — she won a version of a world title this past weekend and looks forward to competing for the highly regarded belts in her weight class soon.
