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On July 19, Wembley Stadium hosts a historic heavyweight clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Usyk, the unified champion, faces Dubois, the IBF titleholder.
Dubois (L) was on the end of some stiff jabs by Usyk (R) in the first fight. (AFP)
On July 19, under the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium, the heavyweight division seeks a violent resolution. Before 90,000 fans, for the first time on British soil in the four-belt era, the undisputed crown will be decided.
In one corner, the master, Oleksandr Usyk (23-0), the unified WBA, WBC, and WBO champion whose genius has baffled a generation. In the other, the destroyer, Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois (22-2), the IBF champion and hometown hero, on a terrifying path of redemption.
This isn’t just a fight; it’s the explosive sequel to a drama born from a single, polarising punch in Poland—a moment that has fueled a war of words and set the stage for this ultimate reckoning.
The Curious Case:
Their first encounter in Wroclaw (Poland), August 2023, was, for four rounds, a Usyk masterclass. The Ukrainian was a phantom, dancing, feinting, and systematically dismantling the bigger man.
Then, in the fifth, “Dynamite” lived up to his name. A crunching right hand landed on Usyk’s midsection, and the champion collapsed in agony.
Referee Luis Pabon instantly ruled it a low blow, granting Usyk a recovery time of three minutes and forty-five seconds. The window for an upset slammed shut. Usyk regrouped, dropped Dubois in the
eighth, and finished him in the ninth.
But the controversy had just begun. Team Dubois cried foul, claiming they were “cheated out of victory”. Usyk’s camp pointed to the rulebook. The boxing world split, with legends like Lennox Lewis
calling it a legal shot, while others like Tony Bellew saw a clear foul. That single punch has become the ghost that haunts this rematch, a grievance weaponised by both sides.
A Reckoning:
Since that night, their paths have diverged dramatically. Usyk, at 38, has fought Father Time and Tyson Fury, beating the “Gypsy King” twice to become the rst undisputed heavyweight champion of the
four-belt era and solidify his all-time great status. His style, built on intelligence and efficiency rather than raw athleticism, seems ageless, but the pressure to remain perfect is immense.
Dubois, 11 years younger, has been reborn in re. The loss became a catalyst, sparking a brutal three-fight knockout streak. He demolished the hulking Jarrell Miller, battered the undefeated Filip Hrgović to win the IBF title, and then, in a seismic upset, obliterated Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley. He returns not as a challenger, but as a champion forged in violence, his confidence at an all-time high.
The Cat vs. Dynamite:
This is a classic clash of styles, elevated by technical nuance. Usyk is a boxing savant. A right-handed southpaw, his entire game is built on creating chaos through movement.
He uses a “pendulum step” to maintain perpetual motion, constantly seeking the dominant outside angle where his power hand aligns with his opponent’s chin. His lead hand is a multi-tool used for
feinting, parrying, and manipulating guards, while his world-class conditioning allows him to throw five or six-punch combinations deep into the championship rounds. He doesn’t just beat you; he exhausts you.
Dubois is the antithesis: “organised chaos”. His game plan is brutally simple: pressure, pressure, pressure. He uses a battering ram jab to set up a right hand that has accounted for 21 of his 22 wins.
His camp has made no secret of their strategy: attack the body relentlessly, test the legality of every shot, and turn a boxing match into a street fight. They believe Usyk is vulnerable there, a theory floated by others. Dubois’s path to victory is to land the one shot that makes all of Usyk’s genius irrelevant. His weakness? He can be hit, and he struggles against fighters who won’t stand still.
An Oscar?
The psychological battle has been just as compelling. Team Dubois has relentlessly pushed the narrative of injustice. “You should be given an Oscar for the acting you did,” trainer Don Charles spat at Usyk,
accusing him of conning the world. Dubois has promised a “bloodbath,” channeling his grievance into fuel.
Usyk’s response has been a masterclass in theatrical disdain. He arrived at the launch press conference with signed photos of the controversial punches, a stunt designed to mock his opponent’s obsession.
“You are right, I deserve an Oscar,” he retorted sarcastically to Charles, before adding, “Teach your fighter to punch clean… I won the fight with a jab. Enough”. It’s a calculated performance of untouchable confidence, baiting Dubois.
The Final Countdown:
So, who wins? The bookies have Usyk as a firm favorite, but acknowledge Dubois’s terrifying power, pricing a KO as his only realistic path to victory. Dubois is a far more dangerous and confident animal than the man who fought in Poland. He will bring the storm early, testing Usyk’s body and the referee’s nerves.
But the fundamental problem remains: Usyk is a puzzle no one has solved. His movement, angles, and ring IQ are the perfect kryptonite for a pressure fighter. He will weather the early onslaught, make
Dubois miss, and punish him with clean, precise counters. As the fight wears on, Usyk’s superior conditioning and relentless pace will take over. The challenger will fade, and the master will go to work.
This fight will be a testament to whether brute force, fueled by revenge, can shatter technical perfection. While Dubois has the power to end it at any moment, Usyk has the arsenal to methodically
break him down, silencing the controversy once and for all with a late-round stoppage.
And one will find out on July 19.
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