Stylish and unshaken: Usyk wins another staredown with Dubois (video)
Photo: Usyk and Dubois face off (Dazn boxing)
On July 17 in London, the final press conference took place ahead of the fight between Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and British Daniel Dubois for the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion. The bout will take place on Saturday, July 19, at the legendary Wembley Stadium. Here are the highlights from the press conference.
Usyk's new look
The Ukrainian champion once again surprised the public with a colorful new outfit. He arrived at the press conference dressed in the costume of a Cossack otaman.
Oleksandr Usyk at the press conference (photo: Dazn boxing)
During the discussion, both boxers remained fairly reserved. Most of the noise was created by members of their teams.
The main argument revolved around who is the better boxer right now and whether the outcome of their first fight in 2023 still matters. After some heated back-and-forth, both sides agreed that the answer would be given in the ring on Saturday.
What Dubois and Usyk said
Dubois stated that he has changed a lot in the past two years and is no longer the young and inexperienced fighter he was during their first meeting.
"I'm just on a different level now. I'm ready to go through anything to take all the belts. I'm on the rise. I seek glory and greatness. This is history being made right now, and I'm going to deliver a real demolition," said Dubois.
Usyk, on the other hand, was more composed. His main message focused on the current situation in Ukraine and the importance of his victory for his fellow countrymen.
"This will be my night. I believe in it. I've prepared for this fight. Every fight is important to me and my team. Right now, this fight is important for my country, for the warriors who defend it. I'm Ukrainian, and that's a huge motivation for me," emphasized Oleksandr.
How the face-off went
It wasn't as long or intense as the one in December before the Usyk vs. Fury fight.
This time, the boxers tested each other for about a minute. Usyk calmly looked the Brit in the eyes. Dubois appeared nervous and slightly twitchy. He was the first to look away, seemingly to turn to the audience for support. Then he looked back at Usyk, but once again couldn’t hold the stare.
Usyk-Dubois 2: What we know
The rematch between Usyk and Dubois at Wembley will determine the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. At stake are the WBC, WBO, and WBA titles held by Usyk and the IBF title held by Dubois.
Both fighters are set to receive record-breaking purses for this bout.
Most analysts and bookmakers estimate Usyk's chances of victory at around 75-80%. The most common predictions suggest Usyk will win either on points or by technical knockout in the second half of the fight (around rounds 8-11).
In the undercard of the main fight, two more Ukrainians, Vladyslav Sirenko and Daniil Lapin, will also step into the ring.
