Oleksandr Usyk returns to London with every belt but one after back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury, the most recent a unanimous 116-112 repeat in Riyadh last December that cemented the 38-year-old southpaw as boxing’s No 1 pound-for-pound fighter. The single strap missing from his collection is the IBF title he vacated to keep the Fury series alive; Daniel Dubois claimed that belt with an eighth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Filip Hrgovic last June, then flattened Anthony Joshua four times en route to a fifth-round knockout before 96,000 at Wembley in September. Those victories followed a tenth-round finish of Jarrell Miller in Riyadh, giving the 27-year-old Londoner a three-fight streak of statement wins and a newfound reputation for late-fight resilience.
Their first encounter in Wroclaw ended when a Dubois body shot was ruled low; Usyk beat the count, regrouped, and twice decked Dubois for the ninth-round stoppage. The rematch on 19 July offers Dubois a chance to erase that asterisk and Usyk the opportunity to complete a British clean-sweep after two victories apiece over Joshua and Fury. Promoter Frank Warren believes Wembley can replicate September’s 96,000-strong atmosphere; some even wonder whether a second Usyk-Dubois chapter can match that demand, but both camps signed quickly once the WBO signalled flexibility on Joseph Parker’s mandatory status.
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Usyk’s team frames the night as retrieval of “the belt Daniel kindly looked after,” while Dubois calls himself “a superior and more dangerous fighter now.” The IBF has already blessed the unification, meaning one man will leave London with all four major titles for the first time on British soil. Whether Dubois’ power surge can dent Usyk’s footwork and angles - or whether experience and finesse again tame raw force - will determine if Wembley witnesses redemption or coronation.
Image Credit: Matchroom