FILE - Britain’s Daniel Dubois poses for the cameras after taking part in a boxing workout at the BT Sport studios, QEII Olympic Park in London, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, File)
FILE - Ukraine’s boxer Oleksandr Usyk smiles at a press conference after winning his fight against Britain’s boxer Tyson Fury for the WBA, WBO, and WBC heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, file)
FILE - Britain’s Daniel Dubois poses for the cameras after taking part in a boxing workout at the BT Sport studios, QEII Olympic Park in London, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, File)
LONDON (AP) 鈥 Daniel Dubois’ trainer has accused Oleksandr Usyk of conning the referee the first time the two heavyweights squared off.
Usyk and Dubois will fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in a rematch of their August 2023 bout 鈥 won by Usyk in a ninth-round stoppage 鈥 that included a controversial low blow.
It was halted in the fifth round for what the referee ruled a low blow by Dubois that sent Usyk to the canvas, with replays showing the punch hitting around the Ukrainian鈥檚 belt. It was not given as a knockdown, no points were deducted from Dubois, and Usyk was given time to recover.
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鈥淵ou should be given an Oscar for the performance,鈥 Don Charles, Dubois鈥 trainer, said at a news conference Tuesday. 鈥淵ou conned the referee, you conned us, you conned the boxing world.鈥
The 38-year-old Usyk holds the WBA, WBC and WBO belts and is undefeated as a pro. Dubois, a 27-year-old London native, is the IBF champion.
The low blow remained the talking point Tuesday, when Usyk got up and asked Dubois to sign photos that allegedly showed punches below the belt from their first fight. Dubois smiled and complied.
鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you print one of those .. of the actual shot that had you trembling,鈥 Charles said.
Usyk was unfazed by the criticism.
鈥淵ou must teach your fighter to punch clean. But I win this fight,鈥 he said.
Usyk relinquished the IBF title when he chose to fight in a rematch against Tyson Fury in December. He won that bout in Saudi Arabia, like he did their first fight last May, the first fight for the undisputed championship since 2000.
in his first bout as IBF champ last September in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley.
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鈥淚鈥檓 on fire now,鈥 Dubois said Tuesday. 鈥淚t’s going to be a bloodbath. I’m going to just put all the controversy and all of that nonsense to rest and show that I’m the man of the future.鈥
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