At the first London press conference announcing this world heavyweight title fight in mid-July, both men said they were ready to be finished with media and couldn’t wait to get into the ring come fight night. We’re now hours away, and WBA ‘Regular’ titlist Daniel Dubois is aware of the task that lies in-front of him: beat a champion who hasn’t been, during a decade-long pro career. Can he?
Usyk feels comfy in Poland, does that spell danger for DDD?
- Queensberry promoter Frank Warren believes now is Daniel’s time: “I’m a big believer in moments and timing, the best matchmaking is about timing… Daniel’s a young and hungry fighter who can punch, is faster than people think and coming into the lion’s den speaks to him as a person.”
- Dubois weighed in at 233.25lbs on Friday, his lightest since winning the WBC Youth heavyweight title against Mauricio Barragan in July 2017
- Usyk said they’ve prepared well for his fourth British opponent after Tony Bellew (2018), Dereck Chisora (2020) and two-fight series with Anthony Joshua, jokes with local reporters that he’s been playing football and dancing – activities unorthodox for most, but not a character like him
- IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic expected to be watching ringside, unbeaten Croatian is next in-line for a world title shot and reiterated stance that he won’t step aside in any unification chatter this week
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Daniel Dubois (ic, WBA ‘Regular’)
Unified WBO, WBA, IBF heavyweight titles on the line for first time in a year
Live from Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw
TNT Sports Box Office PPV in UK, ESPN+ in USA
Estimated main event ringwalks after 10pm BST
No-one outside his close circles truly believes he has more than a puncher’s chance to prevail here, but perhaps that lack of pressure will suit Daniel Dubois. On away soil, in Wroclaw’s humid heat, the 25-year-old has a golden opportunity ahead.
“I’m 100% ready to rumble and bring those belts back home, they’re coming with me – every beginning has an end, his 0 has to go, I’m younger and stronger, just gotta unleash hell on this guy.
I was born for it, everything that has led to me getting here, you guys will see. It’s no pressure for me, I don’t listen to any of that stuff anyway.”
- Dubois during the London presser in mid-July
Eight months removed from his tumultuous battle with Kevin Lerena on the Fury-Chisora 3 undercard, he’s back and faces a task no-one has managed to solve during Oleksandr Usyk’s decorated career: conquer the unified heavyweight champion.
Last month, Queensberry’s Dev Sahni tried his best to break it down by humanising a long-reigning Ukrainian talent who has entered the back nine of his career.
He’s got two arms, two legs, breathes the same air and won’t have the natural physical advantages other big heavyweights might against DDD: being the former undisputed cruiserweight titlist, after all – listed as 6ft 3in tall, with a 78″ reach.
The social media responses were, predictably, ruthless.
Usyk – who hasn’t stopped anyone since Chazz Witherspoon – will end that three-fight streak against a contender whose vulnerabilities were painfully laid bare that chilly December night last year and has just recently changed trainers too.
Dereck Chisora’s old coach Don Charles took over the responsibilities from Shane McGuigan in April, leading to many questioning the logic behind such a big switch so soon before the biggest fight of his career. Is one training camp really enough?
Mosope: How’s the acclimatisation been, from Bermondsey to Wroclaw. 27 degrees and counting, 70% humidity, talk to me about how you’ve prepared for this.
Don: [Their Sierra Nevada training camp] Spain was 40 degrees and we were 2,500ft above sea level there, have prepared well and it makes this appear cool so all good.
MO: There have been a lot of critics suggesting perhaps he shouldn’t have changed trainer, so is there anything you saw in the camp or from the last few months working with him that gave you renewed conviction the timing was right to accept this fight?
DC: He’s earned this opportunity and it’s not a voluntary defence, if Usyk didn’t have to, he definitely wouldn’t choose Daniel – either fight him or relinquish the WBA belt.
The public always have an opinion, if we listened then we wouldn’t be doing what we love doing, being here today. They’re entitled to their opinions but we’re the ones experiencing it on a daily basis and are best fit to judge – we draw confidence in our work, how we work, we’re honest with each other, he’s born for this day.
More on the split and Dubois’ new trainer change
My question: Do you think after the McGuigan split, there was anything Don really could’ve done to give Dubois genuine confidence he can win?
World-renowned trainer/cutman Russ Anber, who is part of team Usyk:
The most important thing is, what kind of relationship do they [Dubois and Don Charles] have? All the other stuff can be built, you have to have confidence and trust in the person – maybe they’ve had history in the past, communication where he’s given Daniel good advice, I don’t know if the same can be said for others.
I’m not talking about fake trust, it goes deeper than that, your boxer has got to know things without being told like when I work with Beefy [Liam Smith], I can give him a look and he’ll know exactly what I meant. That’s important.
Paul Smith Jr, older now-retired brother of Liam and Callum Smith who manages Ziyad Almaayouf:
Absolutely, there can be a lot. Shane’s a brilliant trainer by the way, I really like Don Charles but sometimes you can be with the best trainer in the world… if it doesn’t work, you don’t get on personally or it’s not right, then that’s how it is and alternatively, you can click with the person and learn a lot.
Don’s been around a long time, can pass a lot on with Dubois because he’s trained a lot of heavyweights. I thought he did a bit too much at the workout [on Wednesday], if he turns up and has the best night of his life, of course he can win but there’s so many factors at play here… how much from that Joyce fight is still there?
Did he feel pain in his eye, severe injury, save himself for another day… only he knows that and he’ll have to call upon that experience on Saturday night. Could be the best thing that happened to him, but he’s up against it because Usyk is frightening, an unbelievable fighter. Whether Dubois can land that shot… we’ll see.
Can he replicate what Chisora did, with more urgency? Plan better and execute more precisely than an overly tactical Anthony Joshua? Easier said than done.
Joshua’s best moments in a two-fight series came deep into the rematch, landing digging body shots and forcing the Ukrainian to find reserves many assumed he didn’t have in subsequent rounds. That steely response saw him victorious.
The ninth round in Saudi Arabia is being heralded as the blueprint for which Dubois has to follow, but considerably earlier and with more consistency than Joshua’s fleeting flurries proved that night during a competitive-but-unsuccessful showing.
“I’m going to go in there, put it on him straight away. There’s no secret about outboxing him, it’s not part of the plan – it’s about going in there, roughing him up, showing what a young man can do – show this cruiserweight who’s the man.”
- When asked about Usyk’s methodical starts, Dubois told a newspaper roundtable this last week
Mosope: Do you take any encouragement from Joshua’s performances vs. Usyk?
Dubois: Yes, for sure, I’ve definitely seen some things for the blueprint – some things AJ could have capitalised on – but it’s up to me now, it’s on me and I’m ready to push it some more.
MO: How has the adaptation been, since recovering from your torn ACL injury and changing training camps?
DDD: It’s gotten stronger now, I’ve adapted well and there are no problems. I’ve got no issues with that injury now, I feel strong… am stronger for the work I did in Spain, cut the weight and you’re going to see a new me.
If last week’s media workout told us anything, he’s certainly in the physical shape to do so. However as Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas said last month, producing the goods against a world-class operator like Usyk is a different level entirely.
Klimas: “We’re not underestimating Daniel, he’ll come for the knockout with all that speed and power… but you need to land the punch. It’s not easy to catch the mice from a big cat, I hope you can deliver what you’re saying, Frank..”
The 36-year-old has repeatedly shown his ability to absorb damage dating back to multiple cruiserweight championship defences, but isn’t a spring chicken and will be content boxing a much younger challenger at distance over 12 rounds.
If it means another successful title victory, and potentially lures Tyson Fury back to the negotiating table for an all-or-nothing unification fight in 2024, then so be it.
Sheeraz’s showcase
It won’t be the featured fight of the night, but that doesn’t make Hamzah Sheeraz’s in-ring return any more of an intriguing prospect when he takes on unbeaten Ukrainian Dmytro Mytrofanov in the second defence of his WBC Silver title.
Largely deemed the 24-year-old’s toughest challenge to date, it’s one he has to win if he harbours serious ambitions of stepping up towards world level before long.
While Paul Smith Jr insisted during our conversation it’d be wise not to rush Sheeraz’s development, especially given how many are keen to see him box against Denzel Bentley in the new year, I wanted to hear from the man himself.
Mosope: So Hamzah, thoughts on what’s happened over the past four months since we last spoke? Bentley-Smith, what Frank Warren said about that matchup…
Warren on Bentley-Sheeraz: “We’re looking to make it down the road, a fabulous fight and I want it to become better known… deserves a bigger platform.
Sheeraz’s return: “Look Mosope, Hamzah had an injury… there was a little bit of messing around [with fight scheduling] but we wanted him to be back on a big show, come through this and then he’ll be very active, we’ll keep him busy.”
Sheeraz: First of all, good performance, it was his [British champion Denzel Bentley KO1 Kieran Smith] night – hats off to him, did it in good fashion.
My main focus is to get past the Aug. 26, for me to build up that fight and make it the big fight it is, I have to get him out the way and he’s no joke.
MO: What about the challenge in-front of you, how do you feel about that?
HS: Yeah, he’s an experienced and undefeated fighter who knows what he’s doing. I’m going into the lion’s den and can’t afford any slip-ups.
7-8 weeks ago we knew about the matchup, have had a full camp so there’s no excuses. I didn’t hear about him until it was offered but me and the team have done our research, saw what he’s about… you have to take challenges like these to be great, this is one of the first steps towards greatness.
MO: Talk to me about the USA, it’s become a home away from home for you now…
HS: Yeah! When I was over here [training in the UK], I wasn’t aware of the extent you have to go to… to be a world champion. You have to ensure you’re doing what you’re supposed to, and if it wasn’t for Taz [Khan] – he showed me – I wouldn’t have a clue what I was doing Mosope, wouldn’t be in that space either.
I’ve been there for two-and-a-half years, have to thank Allah for allowing me to have these experiences and do my thing in good fashion, soaking it all up.
MO: You talk about experiences, and those who’ve provided you the platform to succeed abroad. Your coaches, trainers, support staff, how have they helped you for this fight specifically?
HS: Massively. They make sure all I have to do is train: cooking, cleaning, everything I don’t have to worry about.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m humble and always have been – this is just to ensure what I’m doing is to the best of my abilities. Ricky, Speedy Gonzalez under him has come onboard, the serious extents we’ve gone to… you’ll see on the 26th and I can’t wait.
Full card, is as follows
12 rounds
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Daniel Dubois (ic) for unified world heavyweight belts
Denys Berinchyk (c) vs. Anthony Yigit for WBO International lightweight title
Hamzah Sheeraz (c) vs. Dmytro Mytrofanov for WBC Silver middleweight title
10 rounds
Daniel Lapin vs. Aro Schwartz for vacant IBO Continental light-heavyweight strap
8 rounds
Middleweight: Fiodor Czerkaszyn vs. Anauel Ngamissengue
Super-middleweight: Rafal Wolczecki vs. Roberto Arriaza
Welterweight: Vasile Cebotari vs. Joel Julio
6 rounds
Heavyweight: Nursultan Amanzholov vs. Lazizbek Mullojonov
Featherweight: Oleksandr Solomennikov vs. Piotr Gudel
4 rounds
Light-welterweight: Aadam Hamed vs. Vojtech Hrdy
Light-welter: Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Janos Penzes
Welterweight: Bryce Mills vs. Damian Tymosz
Light-welter: Yaroslav Khartsyz vs. Konrad Czajkowski
All pictures shown in this piece, captured by me unless stated
Quotes procured by me in interviews
Mo and Sports 