The awkward truth behind the biggest moment of Daniel Dubois’ career

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra In some ways, Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Daniel Dubois this weekend is the pure subsequent step by a heavyweight panorama that has been as scenic over the past two years because it has in a long time. The best promote for this bout is that Usyk is the unified champion and Dubois is the IBF title holder; all the belts, as ever, ‘should’ be unified (regardless that they by no means keep that method), with the winner at Wembley Stadium set to be topped undisputed champion.

Undisputed standing eluded all heavyweights for twenty-four years till Usyk outpointed Tyson Fury 14 months in the past, but the unbeaten Ukrainian solely held that standing for a matter of weeks earlier than he gave up the IBF belt; in honouring a rematch with Fury, Usyk allowed interim IBF champion Dubois to be elevated, and the younger Briton retained the official model of the belt with a demolition of Anthony Joshua in September.

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These are the fundamental info, which place Usyk, 38, and Dubois, 27, as opponents in London this weekend. There's additionally their historical past: a unified-title battle two years in the past, when Usyk climbed off the canvas to cease Dubois in Poland, with the latter’s camp swearing that the low blow towards the southpaw had in actual fact been a authorized physique shot.

However to dive deeper is to understand that Usyk vs Dubois 2 is definitely a considerably awkward match-up.

Dubois is an developed model of the competitor who arguably threatened Usyk in a single main second of their first battle – however in any other case struggled to place a dent within the former cruiserweight king – and a victory for the house fighter would maybe be the ‘higher’ final result for the division. Usyk might nicely retire whatever the outcome, however a win for Dubois would really feel extra like a altering of the guard and permit contemporary match-ups, after 4 years wherein Usyk’s bouts have solely come towards Fury, Joshua and Dubois, all of whom he can have boxed twice by the tip of this week.

But that current historical past can also be why a victory for Dubois may lack some weight. Joshua acquired two stabs at defeating Usyk, one in 2021 and one in 2022, and was overwhelmed throughout the 12-round distance each occasions. Fury additionally had two goes and acquired nearer than “AJ” to conducting the aim, but the “Gypsy King” was nonetheless outpointed final Might and in December.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/10/13/10/GettyImages-1641020279.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/10/13/10/GettyImages-1641020279.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/10/13/10/GettyImages-1641020279.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Daniel Dubois in their first fight, in 2023" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Daniel Dubois of their first battle, in 2023 (Getty Photographs) The choices to make these rematches have been comprehensible, and though the identical applies this weekend, there's a feeling that's tough to shake: that the British battalion will seemingly get likelihood after likelihood till one can lastly beat Usyk. And if Dubois does at Wembley, what's going to it imply at this level?

After all a win towards a person who doesn’t know tips on how to lose could be spectacular, particularly if Dubois can safe a stoppage, however Usyk’s legacy as a two-weight undisputed champion and the best fighter of his era is safe itself. And at 38, if the Olympic champion will get previous in a single day as fighters typically do, received’t that asterisk without end be pinned above a hypothetical Dubois win?

There's additionally the matter that Dubois had the possibility at a contemporary match-up in February, solely to withdraw from his deliberate title defence towards Joseph Parker on two days’ discover, citing sickness. There was the chance to reschedule that bout after Parker crushed Martin Bakole, however consideration conveniently turned to Usyk.

Understandably so, in fact, particularly in a enterprise like boxing. A shot at redemption, undisputed standing, and the most important payday of Dubois’s profession have been all the time going to trump what was on provide in a title defence towards Parker. That’s simply how this sport works.

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<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/16/10/31/GettyImages-2225220888.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/16/10/31/GettyImages-2225220888.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/07/16/10/31/GettyImages-2225220888.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Usyk and Dubois facing off at Wembley, days before their rematch" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Usyk and Dubois dealing with off at Wembley, days earlier than their rematch (Getty Photographs) And an adjoining situation to all this, so to talk, is the knock-on impact {that a} Dubois win might have on Fury vs Joshua.

Dubois might trump Fury and Joshua as the most effective heavyweight in Britain proper now, if he does what the veteran pair couldn't. Some would argue that Dubois’s current superiority over Joshua was confirmed along with his efficiency towards the previous champion in September, however there would certainly be no room for debate if Dubois have been to depart Wembley victorious on Saturday. The difficulty right here is that the lustre of Fury vs Joshua, which has already diminished over the past six years, would endure once more. Not that Dubois will care.

And so right here we're, on the cusp of an undisputed heavyweight title battle and rematch that makes all of the sense on the earth, but which additionally carries a clumsy edge.

Nonetheless, Dubois has the ability to easy out that edge on Saturday. If he does, there'll sarcastically be nothing easy to the scene in any respect; it will likely be extra destruction from “Dynamite” at Wembley, and a picture of Usyk that nobody has seen earlier than. Therein lies the true intrigue of Usyk vs Dubois 2.