Heavyweight history is not exactly littered with boxers losing their first two fights against the same opponent and winning the third. But there is an example of a fighter doing just that: In the summer of 1951, after twice being conclusively outpointed over 15 rounds by Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott flattened his nemesis in fight number three. He also went on to win their fourth collision, too.
Can Daniel Dubois, who has lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, do the same? The Londoner’s promoter, Frank Warren, is certainly open to the idea.
In 2023, Dubois was stopped in nine rounds by the masterful Ukrainian. That contentious affair was won by Usyk after he hit the mat following a hefty thump, in or around his groin, in the fifth round and stayed down for more than a minute. The controversy swirled until Dubois was bewitched and battered to defeat inside five rounds of their sequel last summer.
But Dubois, 28 years old and 23-3 (22 KOs), is maturing. Proof of such could be found in his recent victory over Fabio Wardley when Dubois, while winning the WBO heavyweight title, was felled twice before rising to administer hurt and win via the referee’s intervention in the 11th.
For Warren, that upset win over Wardley is evidence enough to suggest that Dubois, who the Hall of Fame promoter has guided since he turned professional in 2017, is ready for another crack at 39-year-old Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs) and the holder of the WBC, WBA and IBF belts.
“I’d like to see Daniel in with [Usyk] again,” Warren told Sky Sports. “[Dubois has] grown up mentally. Physically, he’s there but mentally he’s grown into this now and I would like to see that fight again, I really would. We will see.
“You know it’ll be a fight while it lasts.”
