LONDON, England – “Thirty-eight is only the start,” shouted Oleksandr Usyk, having detonated one of his finest left hands to drop and stop Daniel Dubois in five rounds at a packed Wembley Stadium.
Once again the 38-year-old undisputed heavyweight champion (for a third time in two weight classes), Usyk was saluted by the London crowd afterwards, with more than 80,000 fans deservedly chanting Usyk’s name.
“Next, I want to rest. I want to spend time with my wife and children, maybe two-three months. Just rest,” he said.
Asked who was next, he considered the question and said: “Maybe it’s Tyson Fury” before adding it could also be Anthony Joshua or Joseph Parker.
It was an excellent win, with Usyk snapping the career momentum Dubois had enjoyed with victories over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua.
Usyk started steadily, eased into it, went through the gears and then dropped the hammer.
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Usyk had been cheered on the big screens above the ring when his arrival, at 7.15pm, was shown. Earlier, down Wembley way, fans wearing Ukrainian flags could be seen making their way to the stadium and their national hero was even on electric millboards, modelling for Stone Island.
Vendors sold scarfs and T-shirts and, through the undercard, pockets of seats of supporters wearing the yellow and blue of Ukraine started to make themselves heard.
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It was a memorable night. Dubois’ entrance into the cavernous stadium was greeted by fire artists and they gave way to the Candy Girl R & B classic and the Englishman took the long march to the ring as fireworks lit up the Wembley night sky.
Then, to Dennis Brown’s Don’t Want to be a General, Dubois flicked the switch, his eyes narrowed and he picked up his pace.
Jogging on the spot once in the ring, he awaited one of the modern greats. Cancel that. He awaited an all-time great.
Undisputed at cruiserweight. Undisputed at heavyweight. Usyk strode purposefully to collect the IBF belt that politics forced him to hand back last year, having twice proved himself the best big man in the world by defeating Tyson Fury.
Usyk, in a long grey, shiny robe, walked to the ring with a stony face, cutting through the London humidity and clambering over the top rope where Michael Buffer introduced the fighters to the crowd, which crackled in anticipation.
The rain that poured at 6.15pm had long since gone.
A coliseum-like roar welcomed Dubois and he punched both hands above his head.
Usyk’s reception was more mixed but London ultimately seemed to salute his greatness.
Then, it was down to business.
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Dubois started to fire lead right hands, three in the first minute either landed or were close but Usyk jabbed defiantly, pivoting off his front foot and circling away from the right hand, catching Dubois with a couple of lefts before the end of an enthralling round.
The second was cagey. Dubois was guilty of lunging in at one point and Usyk made him pay and there was little sign that Dubois was going to target Usyk’s body. A Usyk left hand snapped Dubois’ head back just before the bell. The crowd gasped, and they did so again when a replay of that clean shot was replayed on the big screens hanging over the ring.
Dubois came out purposefully in the third. It was tense, and Dubois kept bulling in behind his loaded right hands.
“U-syk” chants bellowed around the stadium and another Usyk left hand landed flush.
Usyk’s head movement and speed of foot made him a hard target and there were signs in the third that Usyk was finding his stride, detecting Dubois’ patterns and working out this version of the 27-year-old.
The Ukrainian’s jab went to work in the fourth and Dubois paid for his more predictable assaults.
Dubois had promised chaos in the build-up, but his attacks looked formulaic and a master like Usyk was untroubled.
Dubois shovelled a right into the body in the fourth, a reminder of what happened in Poland when they fought a couple of years ago when Usyk required a prolonged period to get over the low shot – but Usyk was hitting his stride.
He countered over the top of a Dubois jab to open the fifth and the action soon opened up.
Usyk raked Dubois with a couple of heavy shots and Dubois fought back hard but he did so while walking back into danger. That was catnip for Usyk. The master doesn’t need an invitation and he certainly doesn’t need to be presented with opportunities he can happily create on his own.
But Dubois recklessness saw him hit the canvas from a right hook high on the head. The IBF champion moved onto all fours and managed to stand but as the action resumed, Dubois only thought of the chaos he needed to inflict and as he hurled a right Hail Mary, Usyk entered the matrix and, in real time, weaved out of harm’s way and swung back with a crisp left hook that distorted Dubois’ features and sent him tumbling onto his back.
Dubois, who dropped to 22-3 (21 KOs), looked as though he might beat referee Mike Griffin’s count, but he left it too late, stood at eight and trudged forlornly back to his corner.
Usyk dropped to his knees, covered his eyes with his gloves to hide his tears and wept.
He’d done it again.
Two wins over Anthony Joshua. Two wins over Tyson Fury. Two wins over Daniel Dubois. A career of brilliance; amateur and pro. Untouchable. A generational great.
