Reuters
LONDON, July 19 (Reuters)
Oleksandr Usyk floored Briton Daniel Dubois in the fifth round of a thrilling contest at Wembley Stadium on Saturday to once again become the undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion. The win saw Usyk retain his WBC, WBA, and WBO belts and reclaim the IBF belt he vacated last year before a rematch with Tyson Fury, with Dubois upgraded to champion and then defending the title against Anthony Joshua last September. Usyk is as prime example of the mind over matter motivation that has propelled him to iconic status in the boxing world at his ripe age.
Oleksandr Usyk cements his legendary status in the squared circle
Usyk’s skill was evident from the outset as he sidestepped everything thrown his way with deceptive ease and connected repeatedly with his jab, putting on a masterclass in counter-punching against an opponent 11 years younger than him. Asked about the win, Usyk said: “38 is a young guy, remember! 38 is only (the) start!
“I want to say thank you to Jesus Christ. I want to say thank you to my team and Wembley, thank you so much! It’s for the people. Nothing is next. It’s enough, next, I don’t know. I want to rest. My family, my wife, my children, I want to rest now. Two or three months, I want to just rest.”
Usyk, who improved his professional record to 24-0, is now a three-time undisputed champion, twice in the heavyweight division and once as a cruiserweight. Proving his ability in a variety of weight classes cements his iconic status as one of the most efficient boxers of all time.
Daniel Dubois could not handle a fifth-round beatdown from Usyk
Despite weighing in at a career-heaviest 227.3 pounds on Friday, Usyk floated around the ring with an almost balletic grace and prevented Dubois from making the most of his superior size. The Ukrainian comfortably outclassed his opponent in three of the first four rounds, but most of the damage was dealt out in a brutal fifth-round beatdown.
The Ukrainian sent his opponent to the canvas with an overhand right, before a booming left hand right on the chin dashed Dubois’ dreams and brought an end to the bout. Dubois was defiant after his loss, telling DAZN: “I have to commend him on the performance, I gave everything I had.
“Take no credit away from that man. I’ll be back. I was just fighting, trying to pick up round by round. It is what it is.” – Daniel Dubois
The Ukrainian also hinted at a potential third fight against Britain’s Fury, who he beat twice last year.
“Maybe, we have three choices, (Fury), Derek Chisora, and Anthony Joshua. Maybe Joseph Parker. Listen, I cannot now say because I want to go back home,” – Oleksandr Usyk
The unification fight was a rematch of one that Dubois lost by a controversial ninth-round knockout in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2023, after Usyk was given time to recover from what the referee ruled was a low blow. Fighting earlier on the undercard, Briton Lawrence Okolie beat South African Kevin Lerena by unanimous decision in a lacklustre contest. As more veteran boxers make a return to the ring, Usyk is considering his next opponent, of whom there are many to choose from.
Oleksandr Usyk’s performance was head and shoulders above his opponent
The fight gathered a lot of hype leading up to the bout. The two fighters have faced off before; however, boxing fans never want to see a fight end without the spectacular knockout that makes the sport as entertaining as it is. The sweet science has been perfected by many fighters over several generations. Usyk’s performance in London was reminiscent of iconic heavyweights who fought with the grace of a ballet dancer prancing around the stage. As the world evolves, the boxing world has evolved along with it, and we are excited to see who USyk’s next challenger will be.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
