Reigning heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk beats his opposition with his ring IQ, with his brainpower along with his great skill. Also, in the lead-up to a fight, Usyk’s amazing mental strength has seen him gain an edge, pick up an advantage, this as he has proven himself immune to any and all pre-fight antics fighters have tried to use against him in order to unsettle him.
Tyson Fury found out how he was completely unable to rattle Usyk, his shouting and screaming and his attempts at getting to Usyk via a very long face-off getting Fury nowhere. Now, after Dubois took it upon himself to shout in Usyk’s face during their face-to-face this week, Usyk has merely shaken his head and asked God to “give Daniel Dubois some brains.”
Speaking with The Mail, Usyk said he always tries to find good in people, even his ring opponents. But, the unified WBC/WBA/WBO heavyweight champ added, he “hates stupidity.”
Why Does Usyk Pray for Dubois’s Brainpower?
“I hate stupidity. I’m a faithful person. I see only the best in people, but sometimes people show their bad side and even when they’re showing their bad side, I would never judge them,” Usyk said. “In moments like this, I just think, ‘Please God, give him (Dubois) some brains, some understanding and just the willpower to get better (from) where he is now.’”
Dubois’s out of the ring mentality is one thing; but how will Dubois’s mental capabilities cope under the stress of tomorrow’s fight? Dubois has raw power, he has great physical strength, and “Dynamite” has youth on his side. But, to be frank in asking the question, has Dubois got the brains needed to defeat Usyk? If the bombs are not landing, and if the rough and ready stuff doesn’t work, can Dubois adapt, use his own ring IQ, and do other things in the ring to get the win?
Could Dubois’s Ring IQ Be the X-Factor?
Most experts seem to doubt it. Dubois has improved as a fighter since the August 2023 fight with Usyk, but has he got any smarter, has his ring IQ improved at all?
We’ll soon find out, but thus far in his superb ring career, no man has come close to outsmarting Usyk. Can Dubois possibly shock the world by becoming the very first fighter to do so?
