Promoter Alex Krassyuk has put out a tweet in which he writes how he and his team, who of course represent WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, won the purse bid for Usyk’s WBA mandatory defence of a fight against Daniel Dubois. The amount of money that was bid in order to win the rights to promote the fight has not yet been made public, but Krassyuk says the planned date for the fight is August 12, in Poland.
“@usykaa vs @DynamiteDubois. We won the bid. Looking to stage the fight in Wroclaw, Poland on August 12th.”
This fight, Usyk’s second world heavyweight title defence and just his fourth fight in the heavyweight division, is an interesting match up, even if it’s a far cry from the big, four-belt unification showdown we wanted (and still want) between Usyk and Tyson Fury. Dubois, beaten only by Joe Joyce when “Dynamite” suffered one heck of a gruesome eye injury, will enter the ring as a significant underdog, yet as the saying goes, he has a puncher’s chance.
Dubois also has a new trainer. Having split with Shane McGuigan, Dubois is now working with Don Charles, who is best known for having guided Derek Chisora through some big heavyweight fights. How the hooking up with a new head trainer just weeks before going in with one of the most skilled heavyweights of recent years will affect Dubois we must wait and see.
This is of course a huge step up for 25 year old Dubois, and some experts feel he would have been better served by taking another year or so of big-fight experience before challenging the formidable southpaw from Ukraine. On the other hand, a shot at three world heavyweight titles does not come around very often, so maybe Dubois is right to go for it.
By the time the fight rolls around, if it is indeed on the August 12 date Krassyuk says is being looked at, it will have been almost a full year since 36 year old Usyk, currently 20-0(13) last boxed, this his return win over Anthony Joshua. Dubois, 19-1(18) last fought in December of last year when he got off the floor three times to stop Kevin Lerena, Dubois injuring his knee during the fight.
It is to be hoped Dubois is 100 percent fit, ready and ready for the Usyk challenge.
