Redemption or Bust? Usyk vs Dubois II

The first fight between Usyk and Dubois was a controversial one. Dubois knocked down Usyk to the Stadion Wroclaw canvas with what looked like a legitimate body shot in the fifth round, only for the referee to rule it was a low blow, meaning no count.

Usyk was left visibly in pain on the canvas and was given nearly four minutes to recover by the referee, before he eventually got back up and continued the fight. Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) went on to win the fight with a knockout in Round 9 and he was comfortably ahead on the scorecards at the time.

However, the fight was overshadowed by the contentious low blow call, which has been the main talking point ahead of their rematch.

 

Low Blow or Not a Low Blow? That is the Question…

It is no doubt that Dubois is taking on a future hall of famer in Oleksandr Usyk and the current pound for pound number 1. As an amateur he won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics while compiling an amateur record of 335 wins against just 15 losses. He turned professional in 2013, winning his first world title by 2016 at cruiserweight, by 2018 he was undisputed cruiserweight champion winning the World Boxing Super Series tournament. Usyk became the first Ukrainian undisputed champion in history.

Usyk made the move up to the heavyweight division on May 25th 2019, when he made his debut against Carlos Takam by 2021, Usyk defeated unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to win the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. In May 2024, Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to claim the WBC title and became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis and is the first and only cruiserweight and heavyweight boxer in history to hold the world titles of all four major sanctioning bodies—the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super title), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organisation (WBO)—in the new four-belt era. Lewis never chased the WBO belt at it was lightly regarded before the Manny Pacquiao era.

Daniel Dubois, might have thought he missed his chance at a rematch with Usyk but is now the IBF world champion following his sensational KO victory over Anthony Joshua earlier this year, and has got his chance at redemption fighting for the undisputed heavyweight title on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. Dubois is aiming to be the first to claim the undisputed heavyweight championship on British soil and put right the wrongs of the first fight.

The rematch has reignited the drama of the first fight amidst ongoing disputes over whether it was a low blow or not.

Usyk has been keen to remind Dubois that in their previous fight; he won using just his jab.

 

Dubois' coach Don Charles said Usyk "conned" the referee with his reaction to the punch, which led to a heated exchange between the two camps at a news conference for the event. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) himself is confident it was a legal punch.

"I got through with that shot it was like a punch from the Gods," Dubois told media and claimed he was 'cheated out of victory' in his heavyweight world title fight with Usyk back in August 2024.

"You've seen him in the past get hurt to the body, but I'm not going to go crazy on it because everyone's talking about a body shot. They'll be expecting that. So, I've just got to mix it up I guess.”

Dubois also called Usyk "boring" and said his mental toughness won't be enough against his power in July.

 

What is a low blow?

An Illegal punch landing below the belt line is considered a low blow and is therefore illegal. Referees have the authority to issue warnings, point deductions, or even disqualifications for low blows, depending on the severity and intent of the shot. If an accidental low blow occurs, the referee will normally allow the injured boxer a reasonable amount of time, but no more than five minutes, to recover. If they cannot continue within that timeframe, they lose the bout by abandonment.

If an intentional low blow causes a severe injury that stops the bout, the boxer causing the injury is disqualified. If the bout continues, the referee will deduct two points from the offender. If the bout is scheduled for more than four rounds and is stopped due to an injury, from a low blow, a technical decision may be awarded to the boxer ahead on the scorecards at the time of the incident.

 

What is a No Foul Guard?

In the late nineteen twenties, the first boxing groin protector was introduced to the sport. It was called a “Taylor”, named after Brooklyn shoe sole manufacturer, James P. Taylor. His invention didn’t take hold until the fight between Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey in June 1930, which ended in a disqualification for Sharkey after a controversial “low blow” which gave Schmeling the win and a German Heavyweight Champion. After that bout, “No Foul Rules” were introduced and Taylor’s No Foul Protector was introduced.

 

 

Was it a low blow from Dubois or Usyk Gamesmanship?

If it was a low blow, then the rules state Usyk is entitled to get a full 5 minutes to recover. Normally if a referee thinks it’s on the line he will encourage the fighter to continue and tell them to keep their shots up.

Usyk is known to wear a big bulky groin protector up high during a fight. The belt line is not actually the indicator of a low blow; it’s the line the referee makes before the bout indicating where a shot is good or low. During a fight the cup rides up often by an inch, but sometimes even 2-3 inches.

The hip line is the low blow point, the naval has nothing to do with the consideration of an illegal punch. This is why a referee will identify the hip line before a fight and instruct the fighters don’t hit below this.

In his first fight against Daniel Dubois, Usyk's mother specifically advised him to use a "big groin protector". This suggests he wore a bulky cup protector, in that match. There are also reports that he wears his abdo protector high, which has led to some disputes about whether low blows have been correctly called in his previous fights. Usyk is often the smaller fighter in the ring at heavyweight and if he does indeed have a weakness, it’s that he’s vulnerable to body shots.

Don Charles was so concerned about the height of Oleksandr Usyk's groin guard in the first fight that he asked the referee about it before the controversial bout.

 

 

In the ring before the fight, the referee, Luis Pabon, indicated the hip line as being at the top of the hip bones, below the belly button. He clarified that any part of the glove below that line is considered a low blow. So if more than half the glove strays below that line, that would be classed as illegal. If you look at the photo, which shows where the punch landed. The top of the hip bone would be around the bottom of Usyk’s waist band, meaning the majority of the glove is clearly above the foul line and none of the punch is landing on the cup area of the abdominal guard.

Promoter Frank Warren was in full agreement with Dubois that the punch was legal but the WBA later upheld the referee's decision, finding no evidence of error.

 

What is the verdict?

It was a body shot from us, it was on the belt, half the glove was not lower than the hip line and Usyk wears his protector high, the guard would have risen further also during the fight. Usyk has been known to indicate a low blow during fights before and wear his groin guard up high. Maybe due to the fact he feels vulnerable in that area, but it was a valid body shot, and he was hurt for good reason… It does.

But is the real question, did Dubois quit in the first fight with fatigue? 

 

Usyk vs Dubois 2 Fight Details

Fight: Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II 

Titles: Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

Date: Saturday, July 19th 2025

Main Event Time: Approx. 10pm GMT 

Live On: DAZN PPV

PPV Price: £24.99

Location: Wembley Stadium, London, UK

 

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