Lennox Lewis wants Daniel Dubois to use his size to bull the unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk up against the ropes, and unload on him. He believes that IBF champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) can have success fighting that way against the smaller Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs).
Usyk-Dubois will be fighting for the undisputed championship tonight at Wembley Stadium in London. The card will be shown on DAZN PPV at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. ET.
Dubois: Push Usyk to Ropes
“He knows Daniel is going to be eager and wanting to catch him with a punch. So, he’s going to be elusive in the first couple of rounds,” said Lennox Lewis to the media about Oleksandr Usyk’s likely tactics early on against Daniel Dubois tonight.
There’s no secret about what Dubois will do tonight. He’s going to start fast, attack with power shots, and try to overpower him early. Daniel went to war straight out of the blocks in his last three fights and had success by fighting like that. He’ll use that approach against Usyk because it’s all he knows.
“Push him up against the ropes and then take advantage of him. The way that Chisora boxed him [Usyk] was the best. Daniel should learn from that,” said Lennox about what Dubois should do. “If you ask Oleksandr Usyk if he would box him again, he would probably say no.”
Daniel has never been the type to push his opponents against the ropes. He focuses on his power, and normally, that’s enough for him to win. When he gets hit back, that’s where he has problems. Dubois can dish it out, but he can’t take punishment in return. If he could, he’d have never lost to Usyk and Joyce. It would be interesting to see if Dubois tries to push Usyk against the ropes like Lewis wants him to.
Dubois’ Growth for Usyk
“He’s grown mentally, he’s grown in strength, and he’s grown in confidence. Those are the three key places you need to grow,” said Lewis about Dubois.
Dubois may have grown in those areas, but he still lacks boxing skills, ring IQ and a chin. Those areas will keep him from winning against Usyk. Also, Daniel falls apart when he takes punishment. He quit against Usyk. Against Joe Joyce, Dubois also surrendered against him.