As fans may have read or heard, a purse bid is scheduled to take place for a fight between WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk and WBA mandatory Daniel Dubois. The purse bid has been ordered by the WBA for May 25 in Houston. However, Dan Rafael has put out an interesting tweet, writing how:
“If Dubois is not available due to his knee injury (Dubois injuring his knee in his last fight, that odd fight Dubois won by stoppage against Kevin Lerana back in December) or any other reason, Usyk will be ordered to face the next contender in the rankings, which is Deontay Wilder.”
So, it seems the ball is in Dubois’s court. Is “Dynamite” fully healed up? Is Dubois ready for the enormous challenge of tackling the super-skilled southpaw from Ukraine? This fight, if it happens, will easily be the biggest step up thus far in the career of 25 year old Dubois, who is currently 19-1(18).
Indeed, some good judges feel that as great an opportunity as this fight is for Dubois, he and his team should wait before going in with someone as seasoned and, let’s face it, special, as Usyk. A bad loss would perhaps even ruin Dubois’s career. At age 25, the holder of the WBA regular strap has time, and he needs further experience before getting in there with Usyk. A lot more experience.
Also, not to be unkind to Dubois – who is a big puncher as we know and has, in the opinion of some people, got a legit shot at flattening Usyk or of stopping him – but isn’t a Usyk-Wilder fight far more exciting a proposition? Who wouldn’t want to see Usyk the boxer against Wilder the vicious puncher?
But if the fight is offered to Wilder, will he take it? Might Wilder instead remain on course for that much talked about December fight with Anthony Joshua in the Middle East? This is an interesting situation, and we could get Usyk-Dubois next, or we could get the much bigger fight that is Usyk-Wilder.
Which fight of the two would YOU prefer to see?