It’s been a 12 months and alter since Oleksandr Usyk final stepped into a hoop and never a lot has modified.
Tyson Fury is one of the best heavyweight on this planet.
Usyk is his chief rival.
They aren’t preventing one another in a conflict of undefeated titans this Saturday (ESPN+, 5 PM EST). Efforts to make that battle did not bear fruit and so Usyk strikes on to his obligatory towards a WBA sub-titlist with lots of query marks.
Daniel Dubois fell brief in his greatest battle to this point, a conflict with Joe Joyce that led to a stoppage defeat. In his final battle, Dubois was on the deck thrice within the first earlier than gutting it out to cease Kevin Lerena within the third. Nothing we’ve seen to this point suggests Dubois is ready for the elite at heavyweight, and it doesn’t get way more elite in any weight class than Usyk.
Can the youthful challenger stun the world?
Let’s get into it.
Stats and Stakes
Oleksandr Usyk
Age: 36
Titles: IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO heavyweight (2021-Current, 1 Protection); TBRB/Ring Heavyweight (2022-Current, 0 Defenses)
Earlier Titles: WBO Cruiserweight (2016-19, 6 Defenses); WBC Cruiserweight (2018-19, 2 Defenses); Lineal/TBRB/Ring/WBA/IBF Cruiserweight (2018-19, 1 Protection)
Peak: 6’3
Weight: 221 lbs.
Stance: Southpaw
Hails from: Shypyntsi, Ukraine
Report: 20-0, 13 KO (26-0, 15 KO together with World Collection of Boxing fights)
Press Rankings: #2 (ESPN)
Report in Title Fights: 9-0, 3 KO
Final 5 Opponents: 148-17-1 (.895)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Krzysztof Glowacki UD12; Marco Huck TKO10; Mairis Briedis MD12; Murat Gassiev UD12; Anthony Joshua UD12, SD12
Further Present/Former Titlists Confronted: Tony Bellew TKO8
Vs.
Daniel Dubois
Age: 25
Title: None*
Earlier Titles: None
Peak: 6’5
Weight: 233 ¼ lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
Report: 19-1, 18 KO
Press Rankings: #4 (BoxRec)
Report in Main Title Fights: 1st title alternative (3-0, 3 KO in WBA interim or sub-title fights)
Final 5 Opponents: 100-6 (.943)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: None
Further Present/Former Titlists Confronted: None
*Dubois gained the WBA sub-title towards Trevor Bryan in 2022 and has defended as soon as.
The Choose: This battle is tough to get excited for. That is Usyk’s third opponent in 5 heavyweight begins to be discovered nowhere close to the highest ten of TBRB or The Ring, a marked distinction from his spectacular clear out at cruiserweight. Dubois has a proverbial puncher’s likelihood however that hardly ever quantities to a lot and there isn’t any specific high quality win on his resume to level to for hope. Usyk is faster, extra elusive, extra skilled, and whereas he could be the previous cruiserweight king he’s lots large enough for heavyweight. Usyk is as massive or greater than many of the lineal heavyweight champions within the historical past of the game. He was greater than large enough to beat Joshua going away twice.
Towards Dubois, Usyk should watch out with the aggression power of the youthful man early and the battle may look aggressive by 4 or 5 rounds. By the center of the battle Usyk ought to have any rust shaken off and his higher talent stage is simply too massive a bonus. Usyk has an opportunity at a late stoppage however the sensible choose is a transparent factors victory for Usyk.
Rold Picks 2023: 26-7
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the Worldwide Boxing Analysis Group, and a member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America. He could be reached at [email protected]