WBA ‘Regular’ heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois has an almost impossible ask abroad next weekend, looking to dethrone unbeaten, unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Elsewhere, rising middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz (#6 WBO, #9 WBC) similarly returns from injury against an unbeaten Ukrainian, hoping to pick up where he left off at London’s 02 Arena last November. Click for more, to watch their individual videos at the Bermondsey Boxing Club.
Flights booked, Wroclaw awaits before fight week
Most boxing insiders have given Daniel Dubois merely a puncher’s chance as he travels abroad for the second time in 14 months – this time under much different circumstances – looking to do what no man has done, and 19 have certainly tried.
That is, of course, cracking the Oleksandr Usyk code. Former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua had two attempts at him a year apart, but still fell short – Dubois must be inspired, not overawed, by the occasion.
Then-unbeaten WBC world champion Mairis Briedis came closest in January 2018, but lost a majority decision in his native Latvia and has stayed at cruiserweight.
A rematch with new IBF titlist Jai Opetaia is mooted next, having been stunned to a UD12 defeat by the bruising Australian last July on the Gold Coast.
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Daniel Dubois
Footage from one half of next week’s headliner, complete with his new head trainer Don Charles. This first clip is him getting loose by himself, then Charles joins in with foam roll sticks before encouraging some lateral movement and hooks:
Then here, the body protector makes an entrance as Dubois focuses on chaining together some variation to his punching:
Lastly here, from a wider camera view, more of the same vicious punching while Charles imitates some of his own work in close quarters:
Hamzah Sheeraz
After a nine-month absence through injury recovery and scheduling conflicts, rising British middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz fights abroad for the first time as a pro when taking on Ukraine’s Dmytro Mytrofanov (13-0-1, 6 KOs) next weekend.
More on the 24-year-old and that intriguing contest of two unbeaten hopefuls to come in the next few days, but until then, how about some workout footage?
Here in this clip, he’s shadow boxing to warm up as trainer Ricky Funez watches on from the side:
In this instance, he starts off with single shots and one-two combos, then is encouraged to hit through the pads..
Work with the speed bag – featuring a cameo from cruiserweight Natty Ngwenya – before a conversation with Frank Warren:
Bonus footage: Islington’s Masood Abdulah (8-0, 5 KOs), preparing for his biggest fight yet vs. former British super-bantamweight champion Marc Leach (18-2-1, 4 KOs) on the York Hall bill next month before Dubois’ appearance.
All pictures and video shown in this piece, captured by me
Mo and Sports 