Oleksandr Usyk cemented his status as the outstanding heavyweight of his generation with an emphatic fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in their undisputed world title bout at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Victory saw Ukraine’s Usyk extend his unbeaten professional record to 24 fights as the WBA, WBC and WBO champion added his British opponent’s IBF belt to his collection.<\/p>\n
Usyk dominated the opening four rounds and early in the fifth he dropped Dubois to the canvas.<\/p>\n
Moments later he finished the fight in decisive fashion after a trademark left hook left his British rival unable to beat the count one minute and 52 seconds into the round.<\/p>\n
It was the second time Usyk, at 38 some 11 years older than his opponent, had defeated Dubois following a ninth-round stoppage success in Krakow, Poland, in 2023, where the Briton was ruled to have landed an illegal low blow in the fifth round.<\/p>\n
Lennox Lewis, the last British boxer to be undisputed world champion in 1999, forecast before Saturday’s fight that Usyk would face a vastly-improved Dubois, saying: “Dubois was a baby in the sport and now he\u2019s a man…You’re not going to see the same Daniel Dubois from 18 months ago.”<\/p>\n
But after Usyk was roared into the ring by a huge contingent of supporters, many of them waving Ukraine national flags in a 90,000 capacity crowd at Wembley, best known as the London base of England’s national football team, it was largely one-way traffic as their hero conducted a ruthless masterclass against local favourite Dubois.<\/p>\n
“38 is a young guy, remember!,” Usyk told DAZN in the ring after dropping to his knees in celebration. “38 is only start!<\/p>\n
“I want to say thank you to Jesus Christ. I want to say thank you to my team and Wembley, thank you so much! It’s for the people.<\/p>\n
“Nothing is next. It’s enough, next, I don’t know. I want to rest. My family, my wife, my children, I want to rest now. Two or three months, I want to just rest.”
\n– ‘Modern-day legend’ –<\/p>\n
Asked about his next opponent Usyk, who has already twice beaten former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, added: “Maybe it’s Tyson Fury. Maybe we have three choices, Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua. Maybe Joseph Parker. Listen, I cannot now say because I want to go back home.”<\/p>\n
Dubois insisted he would return to the ring, saying: “I have to commend him (Usyk) on the performance, I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I’ll be back.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile promoter Frank Warren, a veteran of the British boxing scene, said: “Usyk is a modern-day legend. In any generation he would be a great fighter. No complaints, the better man won on the night.<\/p>\n
“It’s Joe Parker’s time.”<\/p>\n
Usyk meanwhile basked in the adulation following the latest dazzling victory of a career that has seen him emerge as a national hero in his war-torn homeland.<\/p>\n
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first to congratulate Usky on his victory.<\/p>\n
“An undisputed champion. A legend. One of our own,” Zelensky wrote on X.<\/p>\n
“Thank you for the strength and inspiration you give to the whole country with every victory. Thank you for stepping into each fight with Ukraine in your heart.”<\/p>\n
jdg\/rcw<\/p>\n
\u00a9 Agence France-Presse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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