The Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois fight will now be quite a big affair, a big occasion. It’s been reported how the fight, Usyk’s WBA mandatory defence, will not now go ahead on the originally planned date of August 12, but instead on August 26th. This is so the fight can take place as close as possible to Ukraine’s Independence Day (August 24). Usyk, who has of course been involved in the fighting in his home country, against the ongoing Russian invasion, will now have around 24,000 fans roaring him on in the fight with Dubois.
As Alex Krassyuk explained to TVP Sport, the fight will still take place in Poland as had been the plan, but now at the 24,000 capacity Stadion Wroclaw.
“Wroclaw is home to many Ukrainians,” Krassyuk said. “The fight will take place at the stadium for 24,000 people. We had to change the date from August 12 to August 26. Because it’s Ukraine’s Independence Day. It’s the perfect date to set up a fight with Dubois. We couldn’t waste it.”
Usyk, 20-0(13) will be seeing action for the first time in a full year when he gets it on with the once-beaten Dubois, Usyk last having boxed in August of last year when he repeated his win over Anthony Joshua. Dubois, 19-1(18) was last seen getting off the floor three times to stop Kevin Lerena, this back in December.
With so many passionate Ukrainian fans set to be crammed inside the arena for the fight, Dubois will face what will surely be a very hostile atmosphere. How, or if, this affects Dubois, the WBA ‘regular” champion, remains to be seen. But Dubois will enter the ring as a big underdog in this fight, and not only due to the location of the bout. Is Dubois, with new trainer Don Charles, ready for Usyk and his supreme skill set? Will Dubois ever be ready for as special a fighter as Usyk?
This upcoming fight is a somewhat interesting one, and Dubois does have that puncher’s chance, yet it could well be that the night of August 26 turns into a big night of celebrations for Ukrainians everywhere. Dubois really will be going into the lion’s den in this fight.