LONDON – “We witnessed one of the true modern greats,” said Frank Warren, having seen Oleksandr Usyk defeat Daniel Dubois for a second time. “He would be a great in any generation.”
Warren praised the mental resilience of the 38-year-old Usyk for defeating the Londoner Dubois in front of some 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, and said Dubois “didn’t stick to the task,” and added “he’s got to have head movement. You learn from defeats. That’s what life’s about. … He stopped using his jab and letting his right hand go. He will have a little break, think about things and he will have to resurrect himself.
“Up until that round, I thought it was a pretty good fight to watch. Daniel is very disappointed, and if he’s going to come back, he’s got to learn from it. He’s only 27. Hopefully he will come back and learn from it, but it’s Usyk’s night and he’s a special, special boxer.”
Warren said Dubois would likely have at least six months off before thinking about a return.
Usyk, still unbeaten 13 years into his career after having reigned undisputed at cruiserweight and now twice at heavyweight, will have to fight WBO mandatory Joseph Parker next.
“His first defense of his title is the WBO title, and that will be against Joe Parker,” said Warren. “That could be a great fight. I’d like to see the Joe Parker fight. [Parker]’s on a run. It’s been ordered, so one way or another, it will happen – or he will fight for the vacant title.”
Answering a question at the post-fight press conference about whether Moses Itauma would soon be ready to face Usyk, Warren replied: “Moses is fighting on August 16 in Riyadh [Saudi Arabia, against Dillian Whyte], but the WBO has ordered that fight [with Parker] and that fight will have to happen or he [Usyk] will have to vacate the title.”
Then, again praising Usyk, Warren added: “He’s got really strong resilience. He’s a unique guy. He’s a tremendous fighter. Fighters like him come along once in a generation.”
Warren also said that Tyson Fury has told him that he would like a third fight with Usyk, having been beaten twice by the Ukrainian. But Fury, who lost both previous matchups in Saudi Arabia, would want it in England.
“Tyson has made it very clear to me he would love to do that fight at Wembley,” said Warren.
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, is on The Ring ratings panel and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
