STAR BOXING PREVIEW Sat: Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois

Reigning heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will put all four of his belts on the line against British contender Daniel Dubois this weekend in Poland.

Undefeated in 20 professional contests, Usyk is a future hall of fame candidate and enters this weekend as a huge favourite as he looks to add another heavyweight name to his record.

The word perfect comes to mind when you assess the amateur and professional career of Oleksandr Usyk. As an amateur, he won gold medals at both the world championships and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Following the Olympics, he turned professional at cruiserweight and it took him just 15 fights to become undisputed cruiserweight champion and he never looked like he left second gear.

The true test for Usyk was always going to be when he stepped up to heavyweight and he made the jump in 2018 after dominating the cruiserweight division. For the first time in his career, people doubted whether he would be able to truly compete in boxing’s premium division because he would have to give so much away physically. However, Usyk made a mockery of the doubters and within three years he became just the third man in history to unify both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

Unlike other heavyweights, there is no circus when it comes to the career of Oleksandr Usyk. In modern boxing, champions will do everything to have fights in their favour but Usyk is different. In nine world title fights, he has travelled to his opponents’ home country seven times and remains undefeated to this day.

At 36, Usyk is entering the final chapter of his illustrious career but he is by no means slowing down. Using the solid fundamentals, he developed as an elite amateur; the Ukrainian is always making small tweaks to his game and his boxing IQ means he is always one step ahead of the competition.

Seemingly attempting the impossible, Daniel Dubois travels to Poland will nothing to lose. With a record of 19-1 (18KO), the 25-year-old brings serious power to the table but whether he has the pedigree or experience to compete with an established world champions remains to be seen.

Exploding onto the scene in 2017, Dubois quickly became a big name in Britain due to his knockout power. In the early years, he was being billed as the ‘successor’ to Anthony Joshua but his progress was derailed when he ran into fellow contender Joe Joyce in 2020 and was stopped in the tenth round.

To his credit, Dubois has bounced back from that defeat with four knockout victories but they have all been at a much lower level than where he finds himself this weekend. One huge worry for Team Dubois will be the fact he was hurt badly early in that fight and was on the canvas three times in the opening round. The brit rallied and got the stoppage in the third round but if he gives Oleksandr Usyk those sort of openings, he will pay a painful price.

Despite the inexperience concerns, you must credit Daniel Dubois for having the courage to take on this opportunity. He is giving so much away but opportunities to fight the likes of Usyk don’t come around often and he will arrive in Poland knowing he has nothing to lose and if he can spring an upset, his life and career will change in an instant.

In world title fights, Usyk is 9-0 (3KO) and he hasn’t registered a knockout since 2018 but he will want to make a statement against an opponent like Dubois. As usual, Usyk will be cautious in the opening rounds as he works out exactly what Dubois is trying to do but as this fight progresses, his class and experience should take over. With this in mind, Oleksandr Usyk to win in rounds 7-12 (2/1) is the bet here.

JORDAN NEILD

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Oleksandr Usyk to win in rounds 7-12 2pts at 2/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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PROFIT/LOSS (AUGUST 2023): LOSS -5.40 points

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