Carl Froch reviews the fight between Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois and discusses the controversy in the fifth round.
Carl Froch: “In a word, was it a low blow? The answer to that is yes. It was a low blow. Under the Queensbury rules, if a punch lands on the belt or the box area, it’s considered a foul—an unintentional foul. Below the navel, it’s a low blow.”
When controversies like these arise in boxing, they often linger in the air like the smell of sweat and leather in a boxing gym—undeniable, but impossible to pin down.
Froch continues: “The referee did the right thing. As soon as Usyk went down, he crossed his arms as if to say ‘no knockdown.’ He also told Usyk to stay down and take as much time as you want. We’ve got up to five minutes.”
On the overall performances, Froch has this to say: “Daniel Dubois boxed really, really well. He was confident behind the jab. But Usyk’s jab was fast and phenomenal at times. Dubois fought well but was getting beat to the jab.”
Regarding the fifth round, Froch feels Dubois missed a golden chance. He states: “One thing’s for sure, Usyk was in pain, he was troubled. That was the time for Dubois to really strike. He missed an opportunity.”
Is Dubois’ lack of action at that critical juncture a matter of inexperience or something else?
Froch concludes: “The better man won, Alexander Usyk was a different class. He beat him to the jab, maneuvered him, and got the stoppage.”
I’m not really that bothered and I’m not interested in defending or abusing anyone I’m just purely pointing to the FACTS and they are. This punch is below the naval as you can all see here! No opinions just FACTS! 👍 pic.twitter.com/86UumdomNA
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) August 27, 2023
Is victory measured only by the referee’s final decision or also by the fighter’s conduct inside the ring? Would Dubois’s win, if it had happened due to that low blow, be a victory to be proud of?
“Frank Warren is appealing the decision,” confirms Froch.
Should we prepare for a rematch? What’s certain is that this fight has been more dissected than a cadaver in an anatomy class.
Dubois indeed performed admirably but left the ring second-best. Froch emphasizes,
“Dubois did himself proud. He should try and forget all that noise and just take the positives from it.”
After all, in boxing, sometimes it’s not just about the punch; it’s also about the punch you can take and keep moving forward.
Turning our attention to Oleksandr Usyk, Froch has some contrasting views. “What do you think is next for Usyk?” Another strategic rhetorical question by Froch to set the stage for his analysis. Usyk is not getting any younger, and his recent performances have led some to speculate that he might be past his prime.
Anything below the naval is classed as low in boxing! That’s not my opinion that’s a FACT! That’s the rules! Your shorts shouldn’t cover your naval cos if they do the belt can be hit! This picture says a thousand words! Spew it once and you’ll spew it again is also another fact! pic.twitter.com/JDdfJxdGrE
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) August 26, 2023
“I think Usyk is coming towards the end of his career,” Froch contends.
Usyk has shown brilliance in the ring, but Froch notes a vulnerability: the body shots.
“I do think the blueprint to beating him is to work the body early,” Froch says, pointing to instances where both Anthony Joshua and Dubois had some success with body blows.
For Usyk, the fight everyone wants to see is against Tyson Fury. It would be a heavyweight unification bout for the ages. But how many rounds does Usyk have left in him?
“I don’t think he’s got many fights left in him; I would say two, three maximum,” says Froch.
So here we are, still picking apart a fight that has left the boxing world debating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnhU_NvS3q8