Frank Warren believes that Daniel Dubois' stoppage defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in 2023 was the springboard that has elevated him to one of the most feared heavyweights around.

Dubois first faced Usyk in August of 2023 for the Ukrainian’s unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles in Wroclaw, Poland. Dubois was outclassed for the majority of the contest but did drop Usyk with a low blow that is still contested by Team Dubois to have been legal to this day.

Usyk took his time to recover from the foul, and when he eventually returned to his feet to continue, he punished Dubois. Usyk turned up the heat and Dubois couldn’t keep pace. After Usyk landed a stiff jab on Dubois’ chin in Round 9, Dubois took a knee and did not beat the count.

This was not the first time Dubois has taken a knee from a jab. Back in 2020, Dubois faced Joe Joyce for a collection of secondary titles. Joyce broke Dubois’ orbital bone midway through the contest, causing severe swelling to his left eye. Early into the 10th round Joyce landed a hard jab to the injured eye and the Londoner, who was clearly in pain, took a knee, again for the full 10-count.

Since his defeat to Usyk, Dubois has completely rebuilt himself, claiming the IBF title and cementing himself as a top-level heavyweight. Dubois has been on a roll, defeating Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, all by knockout, each one quicker and more violent than the last.

Dubois will now face Usyk again, this time for the undisputed heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on July 19.

Dubois’ promoter Warren believes his man has what it takes to stain Usyk’s impeccable 23-0 (14 KOs) record – and thinks the stoppage loss to Usyk first time around was necessary in getting him to this point.

“I felt he needed toughening up,” Warren said in an open interview with BoxingScene present. “I don't mean that with disrespect… AJ [Anthony Joshua] is a street guy, a bit like myself, where I come from, I come from the tough part of London when I was a kid. He's a street guy, Daniel's not a street guy, he was brought up in an environment where ... most of the kids knew they were going to be boxers and they lived that life, they weren't out on the streets, they weren't doing the things what kids are doing in London and so forth.

“I noticed with Daniel and [Joshua] when they were doing the face-offs and so forth, and doing that round table, AJ was trying to impose himself, maybe not even knowing he was doing it, by saying, ‘You show me some respect,’ and it was going over his head. It was a little bit like Evander Holyfield with Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson beat 90 per cent of his opponents before he got in the ring with them, street guy, tough sod. He couldn't do it with Holyfield, because Holyfield wasn't his way, and that was a bit like that fight, and I think this has toughened him, it's toughened him, especially the things that were said.”

Dubois showed no fear in the ring, stepping to Joshua and battering him to a concussive fifth-round knockout. The one time Joshua had Dubois hurt, Dubois didn't take a knee but threw hard counter right hands that dropped and stopped Joshua. Warren believes Dubois needs to maintain a similarly aggressive spirit to beat Usyk.

“He's got to go and be the boss in this fight,” Warren said of the upcoming rematch. “He's got to go and impose himself, he's got to do what I know he can do, he's got to go and be hurtful from the start, and he's got to go out there, he's got to absolutely push [Usyk] back ... You push him back, and he's not the same fighter, and that's what he's got to do.”