It’s a day of reckoning inside the Stadion Wroclaw in Poland this Saturday evening for Daniel Dubois, as the Londoner attempts to wrestle the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world championships from the waist of the super-talented Oleksandr Usyk.
TNT Sports Box Office televises Usyk vs Dubois live in the UK, while ESPN+ pick up the USA rights. The fight is promoted by Alex Krassyuk’s K2 Promotions and Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) is a highly-skilled technician, and few have made lasting dents on the Ukrainian, who struck gold at the 2012 Olympics before embarking on a dominant professional career to date.
The 36-year-old southpaw first cleaned out the cruiserweight division, winning all four belts and the World Boxing Super Series, before moving to heavyweight, where he took two wins before dethroning Anthony Joshua in a unanimous decision clinic in London in 2021.
‘AJ’ activated a rematch clause that took place in Saudi Arabia nearly a year later, but Usyk would triumph again, this time via split decision.
He now takes on his WBA mandatory challenger Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs), who has rebuilt well since being knocked out in ten by Joe Joyce at the back end of 2020.
That rebuild included a WBA ‘regular’ title win out in Miami, where he knocked out Trevor Bryan in the fourth round, but he was forced to get off the canvas three times in the opening round of his first defence against Kevin Larena last December, before forcing a third round stoppage.
The 25-year-old is now under the wing of Don Charles for this one after a brief stint with Shane McGuigan.
Prediction: Usyk, although a small heavyweight, is technically gifted and Dubois hasn’t show much outside of his punch power to suggest that he will win here, although that power represents his best hope. I think Dubois will go for broke early, and Usyk can then take over to force a stoppage in the later rounds.
Sheeraz meets Mytrofanov
The undercard sees another two twelve rounders.
Hamzah Sheeraz (17-0, 13 KOs) spearheads British interest, and the talented WBC Silver and Commonwealth middleweight champion should have enough to take a points win against Dmytro Mytrofanov (13-0-1, 6 KOs), who holds a win over Asinia Byfield, but has never been past ten rounds.
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Berinchyk battles Yigit
Unbeaten Ukrainian hope, Denys Berinchyk also sees action, and he should be able to take a win inside schedule against former European lightweight champion, Anthony Yigit (27-3-1, 10 KOs). Berinchyk (17-0, 9 KOs) holds that same belt, but it isn’t on the line here.
Remaining Undercard
The only ten round contest comes at light heavyweight, where Daniel Lapin (7-0, 1 KO) can take a comfortable points win against Aro Schwartz (20-6-1, 13 KOs).
In eight round attractions, Polish middleweight prospect Fiodor Czerkaszyn (22-0, 14 KOs) can take the battle of unbeatens against Anauel Ngamissengue (12-0, 8 KOs), and Rafal Wolczecki (9-0, 6 KOs) can do the same against Roberto Arriaza (19-7, 14 KOs), also at middleweight.
Moldovan Vasile Cebotari (13-0, 5 KOs) should win early against Joel Julio (39-17, 33 KOs) in their welterweight meeting.
In six rounders, Kazakh heavyweight Nursultan Amanzholov (5-0, 4 KOs) can outscore Lazizbek Mullojonov (3-0, 3 KOs), and Ukrainian featherweight Oleksandr Solomennikov (12-0, 7 KOs) can halt Piotr Gudel (10-10-1, 1 KOs).
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Four rounders make up the rest of a lengthy card. Exciting super lightweight, Ziyad Almaayouf (3-0, 1 KO) can take a stoppage win over Janos Penzes (3-4, 2 KOs), and also at 140 pounds, Bryce Mills (12-1, 4 KOs) should come through on points against Damian Tymosz (7-2-1, 4 KOs).
At lightweight, Yaroslav Khartsyz (2-0, 2 KOs) can win on the cards against Konrad Czajkowski (2-0-1, 1 KO).
Adaam Hamed, the son of the legendary Prince Naseem Hamed, makes his pro debut and he can stop Vojtech Hrdy (1-2, 1 KO).
