A boxing match of this caliber has not been staged in Poland for 12 years. On September 10, 2011, also in Wroclaw, Tomasz Adamek wanted to do the impossible and dethrone the then world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
And although there have been great duels later on the Vistula River, including tournaments, given Oleksandr Usyk’s rank and position in world boxing, Saturday’s duel in Wroclaw with Daniel Dubois surpasses the previous duels.
I think there are about 40,000. Tickets are sold out – said Andrzej Vasilevsky, head of the KnockOut Promotions group, one of the organizers of the event in Wroclaw, during the recent “Misja Sport”. The interest is great, and for the needs of this event it was not necessary to organize a large promotion. Usyk flash works wonders.
“The publicity of our sport will be amazing! Usyk is a great boxer, and we are talking about the world heavyweight champion after all, which excites the imagination even more. Saturday’s ceremony in Wroclaw will be very important for Polish boxing. About forty thousand fans will be able to watch the championship fight with the participation of the Ukrainian live From the stands of Wroclaw Stadium Although the PPV package is offered, the TV viewership should also be good – says Dariusz Michalczewski in an interview with Przegląd Sportowy, who defended the world light heavyweight title 23 times during his career.
It never counts
The third place of the Ukrainian in the rating of the prestigious magazine “The Ring” is not accidental. The 36-year-old from Simferopol has been surprising the boxing world for over a decade, first becoming the world amateur champion in stellar style in 2011, and a year later in London winning Olympic gold in the up-91kg category. And it continues to raise the bar all the time. When he started his professional career, he won his first title in under three years – already wearing smaller gloves and without a helmet.
First, some experts toned down the mood, asserting that Usyk needed a test. However, already in the fight for the title with Krzysztof Głowacki at the Tri-City Ergo Arena in 2016, the Ukrainian boxer showed that he is able to conquer the junior heavyweight division. He was not afraid of anyone, had great timing, great footwork and excellent technical training, and by participating in the World Boxing Super Series he could test his strength in the ring with other champions.
“Remember, Usyk used to handle differently than he does now. Seven years ago, he was fighting in the junior heavyweight division, and physical conditions weren’t so important back then. He’s a different fighter now. He has an amazing sense of distance, excellent timing. I wasn’t sure. Completely capable of handling the heavyweight category, but on the other hand, in the past, boxers such as Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr. have managed this challenge. Usyk is great, and his successes in the royal weight only confirm my words that he is a complete boxer – Michalczewski reckons.
As a result, less than two years after winning his first title, he became the undisputed world champion at 90.7kg. Despite his size, other question marks arose when Usyk wanted to become King’s Division champion. Not everyone imagined the Ukrainian facing Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder, and after their first two fights with Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, they thought more about the fact that Usyk rarely fights and can lose his boxing qualities from month to month. Month.
The failure of the Joshua-Fury talks and the forcing of the “Gypsy King” into a third bout with Wilder made Eddie Hearn move and take on Joshua, the London Olympic super-heavyweight champion, the Ukrainian who won gold in the same event at minimum.
After Usyk’s two convincing victories over the Briton, no one has any doubts – the 36-year-old has everything to become the undisputed world bantamweight champion, and the only boxer who can stop him is Tyson Fury.
Who is running here?
So why was the duel with Dubois so important? In the heavyweight division, we currently have two champions – the WBC champion Fury and the holder of three titles (WBA, WBO, IBF) Usyk.
The 35-year-old Briton infuriates more and more boxing fans every month, and instead of fighting serious opponents to defend his belt, he opted for a circus showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and a Netflix documentary in the style of the Kardashians.
In his last two matches, he faced Chisora and Dillian White, who came very close to retirement, which did not satisfy the fans either, because the chances of his competitors winning were close to zero. With Fury humiliating the heavyweight title, all eyes are on Usyk, who is fearless and insists all along that he wants to fight for the undisputed champion title. Most observers believe that Fury – famous for his unconventional behavior and blunt statements – is the one who is supposed to avoid this duel. Usyk, in turn, will fight Dubois as he is a mandatory contender on behalf of the WBA.
The Briton is 10 years younger than his rival, and he is a very calm, polite and balanced man. The 25-year-old avoids personal attacks and wordplay, and is not looking for artificial intrigues. All the best, he wants to appear in the ring. Although this calmness is evident in both boxers, in boxing they offer two completely different styles. Those who support Dubois see his chances in direct hitting power and fast-and-furious action on Usyk. After all, out of 19 victories for a competitor, only one ended with a judge’s decision.
– We have a really great fight ahead of us, because Daniel Dubois is still a boxer – although not on the best behavior to compete with Kevin Llerena – but he has a lot of potential. He is a dynamic, hard-hitting fighter with the traits of a typical heavyweight fighter. But Usyk looks great. He’s confident. He’s an absolutely great champion, and he’s proven that in Olympic and professional boxing. We don’t have many such exceptional and successful boxing careers. Usyk showed that you can go from middleweight, to light heavyweight, junior heavyweight, to heavyweight and beat Joshua twice – confirms Janusz Bendera, boxing expert and commentator in an interview with “PS”.
They are waiting for unification
After losing two fights to Usyk, Joshua is slowly rebuilding his position, but he is no longer the same boxer. Deontay Wilder has lost a lot of health during the trilogy with Fury, but he’s still a serious contender for the top, so part of her doesn’t even want to hear about a fight with the American. The WBC champion has bet on entertainment and easy money, so Usyk is currently the most valuable treasure of the current heavyweight.
Great boxing stars, respected promoters and influential people from the environment came to Wroclaw. Dubois remains a player for Frank Warren, who has been closely associated with Fury for years. All boxing fans are waiting for the great union and the fight between the Ukrainian and the British, so they will see the actions of Usyk in his tenth fight in the championship in his professional career.
Can Usyk beat Tyson Fury? I’m not sure. The WBC champ has great proportions, is cunning in the ring and unorthodox. While Osyk did great with Anthony Joshua, the duel with Fury will look very different – unless the Briton is not in shape, which must also be taken into account – as the Tiger analyzes.
Usyk is highly regarded by fans in the UK. Ukrainian is very popular in the UK. The Briton was already present during the official weigh-in on Friday at Plac Wolności. Sure, they will be cheering for Dubois on Saturday, but some also came to witness the boxing art of the world champion.
– Beautiful and modern, and above all, it is very important that he respects the level of athleticism, and that people do not look at nationality or skin color. It is gratifying that the UK reacts in this way to OSC. You have to pay attention to his athletic qualities, and appreciate them, because he is a great boxer. In addition, he represents boxing very well, he is an open and kind guy.
Artur Špilka’s commentary before the concert in Wroclaw:
I will be happy to watch Oleksandr Usyk fight on Saturday, because he is a great champion. But I think he can easily handle Dubois. The Briton has no chance, and can only be saved with one blow, because he has a strong punch. The Ukrainian champion will run great on his feet – this is his greatest asset. From round to round he will score his opponent. I don’t have much emotion. I’m also not surprised Usyk does so well at the next weigh-in. In the 2013–19 season, he fought in the 90.7kg range, so his weight between fights would probably be around 100kg. I am very much looking forward to his fight with Tyson Fury for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. This match will answer many questions. Usyk has won all four of his cruiserweight titles. Will he reach the royal weight? this is the question! It will be a global phenomenon. Nevertheless, I will watch Fyodor Cherkashin’s performance with great interest. He is already a well-known boxer in the world, and duels in the USA helped him spread his wings. Now everything is in his hands.
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