Oleksandr Usyk dismisses Daniel Dubois’ aggressive shove as weakness during Wembley face-off.
Oleksandr Usyk labelled Daniel Dubois’ shove at their Wembley face-off as a sign of “weakness,” mocking his British rival just months before they battle for the undisputed world heavyweight crown.
The pair squared off on the Wembley Stadium pitch on Monday, promoting their much-anticipated rematch set for 19 July. As photographers clicked away, Dubois, dressed sharply in a blue suit, suddenly pushed Usyk, who was in a light blue tracksuit, squarely in the chest. Security quickly intervened as Usyk simply smiled and turned away, laughing.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Usyk, the undefeated holder of the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC titles, was unimpressed by Dubois’ show of aggression. Asked whether Dubois had changed mentally since their last encounter in August 2023, the Ukrainian replied coolly: “Mentally no, push is a weakness.”
Despite the incident, Usyk acknowledged Dubois’ rise over the past two years. “I think he has [improved], Daniel wins the IBF belt, has beaten three good fighters. He is a world champion, a hard man, a dangerous man,” Usyk admitted.
Dubois, now 27 and the IBF champion, explained his actions with a new-found bravado. “It’s a new me, the fear of acting in a particular way is not there any more. This is the fight game, this is boxing,” he said.
The two share an intense history. In their 2023 bout, Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round, but controversy erupted after Dubois floored Usyk in the fifth with a punch deemed a low blow. Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, challenged the result, but the WBA upheld Usyk’s win.
Reflecting on the pain of that defeat, Dubois admitted it fuelled his drive. “Usyk caused me a lot of pain and frustration,” he said. “But it helped me to reach even further. It will feel even better when it’s done, when I have knocked him out and won. Put the demons to bed and put right what went wrong.”
With tensions clearly simmering, all eyes now turn to Wembley in July, where both men will look to settle their rivalry once and for all.
