
Oleksandr Usyk produced a demolition job to relieve Daniel Dubois of his IBF world title belt and once again become undisputed heavyweight champion at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) can now be called a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. His IBF belt was stripped from him previously; he never lost it in the ring. So he’s reclaimed what was rightfully his in the first place. Boxing politics.
Each time a new, bigger, stronger opponent is lined up for Usyk, we’re told they just need to put it on him. Use their advantages. Pressure him.
It’s plain to see, even if it wasn’t before, that it’s far easier said than done. You could say it can’t be done. Not en route to victory, anyhow.
Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) had been on a run of three impressive victories and he tried his best to make Usyk feel his power last night. He tried to impose himself, but at times he was just out of range with his punches and ran into some eye-watering counters from the Ukrainian wizard, particularly in rounds two and three.
Usyk’s footwork, feints and mesmerising southpaw lead leave opponents hesitant and wary to start any form of attack.
We’ve seen it time and time again. He’s a puzzle that no one has been able to solve in the professional ranks. Tyson Fury came closest in their first fight, but when Usyk sensed the bout might be slipping away, he turned up the heat and nearly got Fury out of there in a memorable round nine before going on to win via split decision.
Last night, there was no panic about the fight slipping away. Dubois perhaps won round three, but aside from that, it was all Usyk.
He had to work, mind you, but so did Dubois, who looked fatigued from round four. The mental pressure Usyk inflicts is draining, as much as the physical effort.
In round five, Usyk closed the show. Dubois launched forward with a tired attack, more in hope than strategy, that pushed Usyk back to the ropes. Usyk then uncorked a right hand that landed flush. Dubois continued to throw, but a left hook followed by a right hand from Usyk put him down for the first time in the fight.
Dubois looked to his corner for guidance, likely from his father, the man who has essentially programmed him into the fighting machine we see today. That’s a whole other story in itself.
As referee Michael Griffin reached the count of seven, Dubois groggily got to his feet. The referee wiped his gloves and let him back into battle.
Usyk welcomed him with a lead right hook that crashed into the side of his face. Dubois, fully square on, threw a wild right hand, a last-gasp shot at unlikely glory, only to be met with a thunderous backhand left from Usyk that laid him on the canvas once again.
Dubois looked to his corner, but this time he didn’t beat the count. Once the referee waved it off, he rose to his feet and walked back to his corner like nothing had happened. In the same shot, Usyk stood centre ring, arms aloft, celebrating another magnificent win in his hall-of-fame career.

‘I want to thank Jesus Christ. I want to thank the Virgin Mary. I want to thank my team, and you, Wembley, thank you so much!’ Usyk, the devout Christian, told the DAZN broadcast post-fight.
He also said he wants to take two or three months off with his family before weighing up his options.
He’s running out of opponents. Usyk is now 38, which he says is not old and it doesn’t look like he’ll be retiring any time soon.
Asked who he could possibly fight next, he gave four names: Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.
Of the four, Parker is the only one he hasn’t fought, and he’d likely be top of the governing bodies’ mandatory challenger list.
To add to the boxing drama, about five minutes after the fight ended, who should pop up on social media in the middle of a late-night jog? Tyson Fury.
‘Oleksandr Usyk knows there’s only one man that can beat him. I’ve done it twice before, and the world knows it.’
So, as well as being in total denial, it looks like Tyson Fury will be returning from his ‘retirement’ and he wants another crack at Usyk.
I’ve no doubt Usyk will be more than happy to oblige and add another victory to his already stellar career.
Images: Getty






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