Read about the controversy surrounding the Dubois vs Usyk fight. Find out what the professionals think and the divided opinions among the boxing community. Will Dubois secure a rematch based on this situation?
| Round | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 5 | Low blow |
The fifth round of the fight between Dubois and Usyk was marred by controversy. Dubois landed a blow on Usyk that was deemed a low blow by the referee. This led to protests from Dubois, his promoter Frank Warren, and trainer Don Charles. The professionals have differing opinions on whether the blow was legal or not. The boxing community is divided on this issue, and it remains to be seen if Dubois will secure a rematch based on this situation.
Last night, we reported that the fifth round of the fight between Dubois and Usyk would be a hot topic in boxing circles. In the beginning of the fifth round, Dubois landed a blow on Usyk that the referee deemed a low blow, giving Usyk a few minutes to recover. Dubois, his promoter Frank Warren, and trainer Don Charles vehemently protested after the fight, with Warren announcing that he will file an appeal to overturn the outcome of the match. Usyk, of course, disagrees with their claims, and it’s always interesting to see what the professionals think.
Michael Hunter, a well-known American heavyweight who was once linked to Hrgović as a potential opponent, wrote, ‘That body shot didn’t land low.’ Hunter’s only loss in his career came in 2017 against Oleksandr Usyk. Josh Taylor, the former undisputed world champion in the super lightweight category, also chimed in, addressing Dubois’ controversial blow. Like Hunter, Taylor also believes it was a legal shot. ‘That shot landed right on the belt. Perfectly legal shot in my opinion,’ Taylor wrote in one of his tweets, adding two more tweets: ‘Dubois should be the champion after that body shot, it definitely wasn’t a low blow. Usyk didn’t like it and took full advantage of the opportunity to recover. Did Dubois quit (later in the fight) or was it simply a great lead right?’ British boxer Sunny Edwards wrote that every boxer currently thinks Dubois should be the world champion, while Irishman Michael Conlan also sees the blow as legal but brings the discussion back down to earth. ‘I don’t think the shot was low, it was on the borderline. Please calm down with statements that ‘DDD’ (Dubois) should be the world champion, because if it was a count, Usyk would have gotten up,’ Conlan stated. Opinions are obviously more divided, as evidenced by the statement from Liam Smith, another prominent English professional boxer. Smith is convinced that it was an illegal blow. ‘The shot was low, regardless of whether Usyk raised his guard too high (because that’s something that should have been addressed at the beginning of the fight if Dubois’ team felt the guard was too high). His protector is right below the waist. Usyk made the most of the time offered to him for recovery, but no one knows if he would have stayed down if the referee had decided to count,’ Smith said. Tony Bellew, the former cruiserweight world champion, provided a more detailed explanation, agreeing with the referee who deemed the blow illegal. ‘Anything below the belly button is classified as a low blow in boxing! That’s not my opinion, that’s a FACT! Those are the rules! Your trunks shouldn’t cover your belly button, because if they do, it’s possible to receive a blow to the waist area. This picture speaks a thousand words!’ Bellew wrote, among other things. However, fans quickly responded with pictures from the fight itself, explaining that Usyk immediately lowered his trunks below the belly button after the fight. What can we say, except that the boxing community will obviously be divided on this issue. Whether Dubois will secure a rematch based on this situation is hard to say. Usyk was dominant in every round of this fight, and we doubt the audience would be interested in another showdown between the two of them.
