Tarczynski Arena: Wroclaw, Poland
There are just certain advantages that a champion will always have. But when referees, or judges become part of the story, it leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. That being said, a road map is now written on how to almost certainly defeat Oleksandr Usyk.
You can add in, fighting in outdoor stadiums while pack the bigger crowds can be just as influential as a bad call. Case in point “The Cat” and Daniel Dubois fighting in a pouring rain, making the canvas slick. While the fifth round dropping of the champion wasn’t a heinous low blow, it was still called one by referee LOUIS PABON. And before the opening bell he didn’t show either fighter what he’d deem a low blow.
Before the fifth, it was a battle of position with Usyk being selective, but both landing in a close fight. The first decent body shot that Usyk responded to was in the third. But the champion continued to probe his jab. And thanks to his superior footwork moved out of any trouble. However, they both stung each other at times.
Dubois, who all in all did better than expected became more aggressive. The duo traded shots trying to keep one another off rhythm. A vicious sweeping hook to the body put Usyk on his knees. With Pabon calling it a low blow, he’d be allowed five-minutes to recoup. Finally Usyk was ready to go and made it clear. But again Pabon becomes part of the story as he kept telling Usyk take more time. Which in turn had Dubois a tad gun shy digging to the body again.
A Road Map Is Written Against Usyk
The question has to be raised; if a low-blow, why not take a point? From that point forward anytime the English fighter came even near the belt line, Usyk was looking for a call to be made. With the bigger fighter losing a piece of his arsenal, Usyk went to work, systematically breaking the challenger down.
Usyk was standing up to Dubois’s power, and his combos were finding a home on Dubois. A combo had Dubois go to his knees in the eigth, and then it was a short right jab 1:48 of the ninth did it again for the knockout.
Immediately after the fight, Frank Warren said they’d be ordering an appeal to the WBA for a rematch. Stating his fighter was straight up robbed. Almost as immediately there was another wave brought into the equation.
Filip Hrgovic’s team stated they have been waiting their turn with the IBF mandatory. And they have no intention of waiting any longer, they’re next. And you shouldn’t think the WBO will sit quietly by either. The winner of Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang two, will be their mandatory. So what all this means in the long run is, if you were actually expecting a unification at heavyweight with Tyson Fury… forget it.
A second time around, maybe Dubois actually stops Usyk. Every other fighter in the queue’s more dangerous and have the ability to wreck the body, harder and faster, slowing down “The Cat”, to a kitten. The knockout of Dubois was more a precision shot than something special. Although it looked like he just didn’t want to be there anymore.
Home field or not, it’ss something you’d expect in Texas not Poland.
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