Mike Tyson confessed he hadn’t laid eyes on Daniel Dubois’ bouts before his heavyweight title clash with Oleksandr Usyk last summer.
Despite Dubois carving out a global reputation with an enviable 19-1 tally before facing off against the unbeaten Usyk for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in August, ‘Iron’ Mike said: “I never saw Dubois fight. I’m going to stick with the champion,” when quizzed about his thoughts on the outcome.
Dubois was likely gutted hearing this, especially since he’s been hailed as the next Tyson, boasting 20 knockouts from 23 fights. He’s also shared that icons like Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Muhammad Ali were his childhood inspirations.
Tyson’s hunch proved spot-on, but the bout at Stadion Wroclaw wasn’t without its drama, with Dubois alleging he got the short end of the stick. The Brit started strong, sizing up Usyk with sharp jabs, but by round two, Usyk retaliated, landing a hefty left.
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The Ukrainian then flaunted his skill set in the third, hitting from all sorts of angles, while Dubois managed to land a smooth double-jab in the fourth. However, Dubois felt referee Luis Pabon made a hash of things early in the fifth, reports the Mirror.
The challenger landed a stinging right hook to the belt line, sending the Ukrainian crashing to the mat. However, the punch was controversially deemed a low blow, allowing Usyk a crucial recovery period. Dubois’ hopes were dashed in the ninth round when Usyk delivered a thunderous right hand, leaving him unable to beat the count.
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Post-fight, Dubois was adamant that his fifth-round knockdown was legitimate. Voicing his frustration to BBC Sport, he said: “This wrong needs to be corrected. This needs to go further, it needs to be pushed. I should be a world champion right now. It wasn’t justice. It needs to be called out and go further than living this lie. They just cheated out there.”
He continued: “I definitely want a rematch. Get justice, get a rematch, get something to happen. We’ve been working in the gym for weeks and weeks on end on that shot. We pulled it off and that should have been our moment. That should have been a knockout. I’m feeling gutted. It wasn’t a low blow. I felt it land perfectly, smack into his stomach. I know for sure when I land a good shot.”
Despite not yet securing his rematch with Usyk, Dubois has remained active and gradually worked his way back to face the undefeated 22-0 tactician. Usyk recently became the latest undisputed heavyweight champion after defeating Tyson Fury to simultaneously hold the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and WBC titles.
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However, he was forced to give up his IBF title in June, choosing to have a second bout with the ‘Gypsy King’ rather than face Dubois, the mandatory challenger for the IBF title. Dubois claimed the interim IBF title after triumphing over Filip Hrgovic via an eighth-round TKO earlier this month, and was promoted to IBF champion following Usyk’s belt relinquishment.
This weekend, Dubois will defend his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. A victory against the powerful 34-year-old could position him for the much-anticipated rematch with Usyk. However, it won’t be a walk in the park, as Joshua is currently on a four-fight winning streak following consecutive losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. He too is seeking a rematch against the unbeaten champ.