Boxing: Usyk stops Dubois to retain world heavyweight titles

WROCLAW, Poland -- Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine retained his world heavyweight titles with a ninth-round knockout of Britain's Daniel Dubois in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday.

Victory meant Usyk kept hold of the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation belts.

It also extended his perfect professional record to 21 wins from 21 bouts.

Dubois, however, claimed he had been "cheated" out of victory after referee Luis Pabon ruled he had struck Usyk with a low blow in the fifth round, which led to a lengthy delay.

But former World Boxing Council super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall, commentating at ringside, described his fellow Briton's punch as a "borderline shot".

Usyk recovered to drop Dubois down on one knee in the eighth round after landing with several punches to the head.

Dubois just beat the count before the bell sounded for the end of the round.

But the fight was all over in the next, with Usyk sending Dubois onto the canvas.

This time the challenger was unable to get back to his feet before the referee counted to 10.

"I feel good. I am grateful for my team, my family, my children. I love you," Usyk told TNT Sports.

"I'm grateful for my country and the Ukrainian army. Thank you so much."

Asked about the prospect of a unification bout with Britain's Tyson Fury, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Usyk replied: "I'm ready tomorrow".

Dubois, however, was adamant his punch in the fifth round was legitimate, saying: "I didn't think that was a low blow, I thought it landed and that I've been cheated out of it tonight. I'll come again."

- 'Rematch' -

Veteran promoter Frank Warren added: "It wasn't a low blow. I wish they could put it up on there now and we could all see it. They didn't take any points off him.

"I like Usyk, but that was a complete 'home' decision. He was not fit to go on and they gave him a couple of minutes to recover... The governing bodies will have to look at that and order a rematch."

The 36-year-old Usyk was roared on by a large contingent of Ukrainian fans, with many of his compatriots now living in Poland following Russia's invasion of their country last year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on the giant screens before the fight to deliver a patriotic rallying cry amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Usyk had the better of the early exchanges but rank outsider Dubois, a 25-year-old Londoner, defied predictions he'd suffer an early defeat.

Then came Dubois's controversial punch in the fifth, which may have been on the belt line in some eyes.

After the bout resumed, Dubois attacked and traded punches with Usyk.

The ill-feeling between the duo was visible at the end of the round and Dubois continued his attack to the body in the sixth.

But Usyk started to dominate from then on, dropping Dubois in the eighth round before charging in again in the ninth, flooring the challenger once more before Pabon waved the fight off.

Agence France-Presse

Boxing: Usyk beats Joshua by split decision in heavyweight title fight

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk won his rematch against Anthony Joshua by split decision to set up a potential unification bout with Britain's Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The former cruiserweight world champion, who dismantled the holder in London last year, faced an improved Joshua but outboxed him once again in just his fourth heavyweight bout.

Usyk, now unbeaten at 20-0 immediately called out Fury, who announced his latest retirement earlier this month but has signalled his willingness to resume his career.

Victory over the 6ft 9ins (2.06m) Fury would unite all four heavyweight belts and constitute a crowning glory for the sublime Ukrainian, a former outstanding amateur and Olympic heavyweight champion.

"I'm sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet," Usyk told the crowd. "I'm convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury I'm not fighting at all."

The fight was watched on free-to-air TV by millions of Ukrainians living under the Russian invasion. Usyk signed up to fight for his country before accepting the rematch.

"I give this victory to my country, to my family, to my team and to all the military who are defending the country," he told the 12,000-seat King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah.

An angered Joshua peppered his post-fight speech with expletives despite the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler of the deeply religious country.

The judges scored it 113-115, 115-113 and 116-112 for Usyk as Joshua narrowed the gap but was still found wanting.

- Slick Usyk -

Joshua, the 6ft 6ins (1.98m) two-time world champion is left staring at an impasse in his career after his third defeat in his 12th straight title fight left him with figures of 24-3-0.

Joshua, accused of hesitancy in their first fight in London, was the early aggressor by round two as he repeatedly landed his big right hand.

A heavy right hook stung Usyk in round three and Joshua was continuing to find the jab as the Ukrainian's busy footwork opened up gaps.

A low blow from Joshua left Usyk wincing in the fifth and another backed him onto the ropes in the sixth but the tricky southpaw came firing back with some lightning combinations.

A flurry to the body put Usyk back on the ropes in the eighth and Joshua had the Ukrainian hanging on in the ninth after a right-left hook combination as the fight came alive.

But Usyk came storming back after the bell with a succession of clean shots as Joshua took some serious punishment despite landing a massive right of his own.

The mesmerising Usyk increased his control in the closing stages, slipping punches and landing quick combinations as Joshua searched in vain for the knock-down.

Earlier on the card, Somali-born Briton Ramla Ali knocked out the Dominican Republic's Crystal Garcia Nova in round one in the very first women's professional boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

Agence France-Presse

Joshua-Usyk rematch could be staged in UK, says promoter

Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said the United Kingdom is among the venues being considered to host the Briton’s rematch against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, adding that the fight will take place in June or July.

World heavyweight champion Usyk beat Joshua in front of a sell-out crowd in London in September last year to claim the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, Usyk returned to his homeland to join a territorial defence battalion, raising doubts about a rematch with Joshua.

However, Usyk said last month that he had begun preparations for the bout, with the Ukrainian’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk telling Sky Sports that Saudi Arabia was a potential venue.

“We’re in final negotiations for a couple of sites for either the end of June or early-to-mid-July,” Hearn told British media on Friday. “I reckon within two weeks we’ll have some news in terms of where that’s going to be.

“An option is in the UK. The difference is, we don’t really need negotiations with a venue in the UK, we just book it.”

The winner could be in line for a unification bout with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury of Britain.

-reuters-