Body shots and ‘dirty’ tactics – how does Dubois beat Usyk?

Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk in the second round

Wembley Stadium, London Date: Saturday, July 19th,

Chaos, maturity, and confidence.

Daniel Dubois and those who surround him during fight week have said those three words more than once.

Dubois is gearing up for the anticipated triumph of his career when he squares off against Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday in a rematch at Wembley Stadium.

IBF champion Dubois dared to dream when he traveled to Poland just before the end of the ninth-round defeat against Usyk.

Dubois has since rebuilt his career with three straight victories, including a stunning knockout victory over Anthony Joshua.

If Dubois can defeat WBA (Super), WBO (Super), and WBC (Super) champion Usyk, he will become the first British fighter to unify the heavyweight division during the four-belt era and the first to win on home soil.

Many, to be exact, have attempted to crack the Usyk code, but none have succeeded.

Usyk was simply unworthy.

In almost every metric, the Ukrainian won.

Dubois and his team left Poland feeling unfair despite losing the contest.

Usyk was floored in the fifth round, but it was ruled that it was a minor blow, so the 38-year-old had almost four minutes to recover.

When the action resumed just 22 seconds into the round, Usyk was strong, scoring it for him in his favor by two of the three judges.

When the fighters met at a press conference before their rematch in April, Dubois’ trainer Don Charles made reference to the minor blow.

Charles alleged Usyk to have “coined the referee” and said he “should be given an Oscar for that performance.”

It’s just blah, blah, blah, blah, empty words, Usyk said to BBC Sport.

The fighter’s physiologist Jakub Chycki claims the fighter’s core is “very strong,” while Usyk’s team insists there is no risk of Dubois exploiting the body.

Usyk even made fun of it during his opening session at BoxPark Wembley on Wednesday, when he was repeatedly hit in the stomach by his training partners.

When stopping Jarrell Miller in round 10, Dubois landed a career-high 208 punches, 50 of which were to the body.

Filip Hrgovic came next, but despite the drop in overall output, he still regularly targeted the body, allowing 17 shots in eight rounds.

In the past two years, Dubois and trainer Charles have forged a strong partnership.

They have shared four fights and six camps, with Dubois having been scheduled to face Joseph Parker in February but giving two days’ notice due to illness.

According to BBC Radio 5 Live boxing analyst Steve Bunce, “the relationship isn’t just what happens in the corner.”

When you spend 10 or 15 minutes with a fighter, 10 or 15 minutes of sitting in a field for 20 minutes while feeding the horses at their gym, that’s how you form bonds.

In the first fight, Charles kept repeating the phrase “second phase,” which meant he wanted a follow-up to the jab to stop Usyk from escaping, and it has been repeated in fight week.

Dubois has thrown 44.3 punches per round in his 24-fight career, down from 34.1 against Usyk.

At the beginning of the maneuver, Dubois will face Usyk, who is four feet to the left, before suddenly moving another four feet and striking him three times, according to Bunce.

Dubois’ intention is not to throw more, but to increase its range.

40, 000 boisterous, primarily Ukrainian fans greeted Dubois when he left Wroclaw’s Tarczynski Arena in 2023.

Dubois lost in his biggest fight of his career, but it was on a different level.

It’s a dangerous game that Dubois allowed Usyk to enter the ring’s center, establish his jab, and settle into a rhythm.

There is a contention that Dubois’ initial encounter with Usyk was premature. Although his CV didn’t include well-known players, he was running out of division rivals.

The Londoner’s confidence increased significantly as a result of his subsequent victories over Miller, Hrgovic, and Joshua, who convinced him more than ever that time was running out.

Dubois told BBC Sport, “My entire approach is just to seek and destroy, bring chaos, and get the victory – seize the moment.”