Undefeated heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk got the better of Daniel Dubois on August 26 at the Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland, as the two clashed for the WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA, and The Ring titles. However, a controversy sparked because of a low blow hit by Dubois in the fifth round of the bout.
The Ukrainian champion Usyk walked in as the clear favorite in this fight, but Dubois did manage to hurt Usyk in the fifth round with a shot near the belt line, and the referee immediately stopped the fight and ruled it a low blow. Usyk laid on the canvas by the ropes and took his time to recover from the shot.
Much to his advantage, Usyk took three minutes and 45 seconds to recover, as boxers are granted five minutes when hit with a low blow. The 36-year-old champion responded well after the unexpected break, and both fighters delivered punches instantly after the action began. Eventually, Usyk got the better of the British fighter with a ninth-round KO.
So, the former cruiserweight champion retained all of his titles and his undefeated record. However, many, including Dubois, thought that the controversial shot was not a low blow as it was near the belt area and it landed well.
Joshua hurt Usyk so bad with a body shot he pretended it was low to buy time. Does he have a glass body, and can Dubois exploit it? 🥊👀pic.twitter.com/c5lXDUbJnl
— Cobra Fade Boxing (@Fade_Cob2) August 26, 2023
After the fight, an old video went viral on Twitter, which got fans thinking that this is not the first time Usyk has been involved in a controversy like this.
The clip was from Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua, where something similar happened as the fight had to be stopped midway as Usyk got hit by what seemed like a low blow. That shot too arose controversy, as many claimed that it was nothing more than a good body shot and Usyk just used it to buy time.
Both the controversial fights had the same referee
The interesting part here is that both fights where Usyk allegedly got hit by low blows had Luis Pabon as referee. This ignited even more debates as both Joshua and Dubois were fighting for the major heavyweight titles against Usyk, and both were on the receiving end of what many claimed was a ‘dirty trick’ by the Ukrainian heavyweight.
While, Dubois got outclassed by Usyk’s knockout power in the ninth round to get defeated only for the second time in his career, he thinks that he has been wronged, as according to him, the shot in question was a body shot that landed and not a low blow. “Cheated out of victory tonight,” said Dubois about the low blow call. This also led to many fans questioning the competency of the referee Pabon.
“I’ve been cheated out of victory”
Daniel Dubois reacts to the controversial shot that was called a low blow where Usyk took four minutes to recover 🗣
Do you believe it was a legal shot? 🤔
🎬 @boxingontnt #UsykDubois | #DanielDubois | #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/SZmSU1fB1b
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) August 26, 2023
The British fighter’s promoter even suggested a rematch between the two. While Usyk still stands undefeated and an undisputed heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury is what he would want right now, it will be interesting if he chooses to fight Dubois again.