'Usyk's Acting Deserves an Oscar' – Claims Team Dubois
The war of words is heating up as heavyweight giants Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk prepare to settle unfinished business in one of boxing’s most anticipated rematches. But it was less about belts and more about bruised pride when the two fighters came face to face in London this week.
At a charged press conference, Dubois’ trainer Don Charles accused Usyk of “conning the boxing world” during their first bout in August 2023, where a controversial low blow saw the Ukrainian star given extra recovery time before stopping Dubois in the ninth round.
“You should be handed an Oscar for that performance,” Charles told Usyk, who calmly smirked in response. “You conned the referee. You conned us. You conned the boxing world.”
The Rematch: All Belts on the Line
The two men are set to clash again on 19 July at Wembley Stadium, this time with all four heavyweight world titles up for grabs. The stakes couldn’t be higher—both in terms of glory and legacy.
At the presser, Usyk, ever the showman, presented Dubois with printed images showing the infamous punch landing below the belt. He asked Dubois to autograph the photos, provoking an angry response from Team Dubois.
“It’s disappointing that you’d stoop so low,” Charles added.
Usyk, known for his eccentric flair, dismissed the claim with a cheeky jab: “You should teach your fighter to punch clean.”
Clearly unbothered by the repeated questioning, Usyk abruptly ended the press conference by standing up and announcing: “Thank you everyone. We'll go to training camp. See you later.”
Even heavyweight George Fox, Charles’ son, got involved in a verbal skirmish, referencing Usyk’s joking suggestion the day before of settling matters with a “street fight” between their teams.
“Usyk must be rattled,” Fox said, referencing the Ukrainian’s real-life battle background defending his homeland from Russia.
Usyk: The Generational Great
Usyk, 38, enters the bout as the first four-belt unified heavyweight champion in boxing history, having defeated Tyson Fury twice—most recently in May 2024. Unbeaten in 23 professional fights, the Olympic gold medallist and former cruiserweight kingpin has already written himself into the history books.
Yet Dubois, 27, isn’t here to play spectator. The Londoner is riding a wave of momentum with dominant stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua.
'I'm on Fire Now'
“This time, it’s going to be a bloodbath,” Dubois declared. “I’m going to put all that controversy to rest. He’ll be doing a funny dance in the ring when I hit him.”
While the low blow remains a sore spot, Dubois insists he’s more dangerous than ever—and promises a different result at Wembley.
From controversy to legacy-defining clash, all eyes turn to Wembley this July. Can Dubois silence the doubters, or will Usyk continue to reign supreme?
By WafricNews Sports Desk | April 29, 2025
By WafricNews Sports Desk | April 29, 2025
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