Daniel Dubois made good on his promise to look impressive in his U.S debut. Taking out a game Joe Cusumano in the opening round in Cleveland, Ohio last night, “Dynamite” showed once again that his fists, his right hand especially, are loaded with the stuff. Dubois dropped Cusumano three times to get the quick win, the end coming at 2:10 of the opener.
Dubois improved to 17-1(16) and he has now won two on the bounce since being stopped himself, by Joe Joyce last November. Cusumano, who came to fight, falls to 19-4(17) in being stopped for the first time in his career.
23-year-old Dubois revealed after the short, explosive fight how his father had told him to go out there and get the first-round KO. Mission accomplished. Dubois also showed us once again how exciting he is. Cusumano had a good start, catching the ten years younger man with a sharp right hand to the head. But Dubois then took over, using his massive right hand to devastating effect. Credit to Cusumano for getting back up and then trying to land something big himself, but this was Dubois’ show – big time.
So what next? Dubois called out Trevor Bryan (who holds a version of the WBA heavyweight title, one no-one really takes seriously), and he said he wants the fights that will get him “to the ultimate.” That means fighting for the legit world titles. Can Dubois get that far? With his sheer power, Dubois has to be looked at as a very serious threat to just about anybody in the heavyweight division.
Promoter Frank Warren said the WBA will order the Bryan-Dubois fight, “hopefully before the end of the year.” It seems this is the fight we will see next in the careers of Dubois and the unbeaten (and somewhat unknown and, his win over a faded Bermane Stiverne aside, untested at the top level) Bryan, 21-0(15).
The way he looked last night, a quick win for Dubois over Bryan can in no way be counted out.