The Main Event Tonight LIVE on ESPN+ in the uS and TNT Sports in UK: Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion with an unbeaten 20-0 record, defends his WBC, IBF, and WBA world titles against British contender Daniel Dubois, who’s ready to detonate his 18 knockout wins out of a 19-1 record.
The Venue: The clash takes place at the Tarczynski Arena, a thunderdome with the capacity to hold 45,000 roaring fans, adding to the electric atmosphere of this anticipated fight. Time: British Summer Time (BST): 6 p.m.
The Price Tag: The bout is available for purchase in the UK at £19.95. In the Republic of Ireland, the price is €29.99 or €34.99 on the day of the fight.
Daniel Dubois trainer Don Charles spoke to Boxing News’ Andi Purewal ahead of their bout in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday night.
A burning question that often arises is why Don Charles took on the challenge with Dubois, especially when it’s one of the biggest fights of his own career.
“Listen, I’m the probably the right person in the sense that based on what you just asked me, you’ve got to be in it to win it. You get opportunities in life once in a lifetime opportunities sometimes you have to recognize them, are you able to do it, if the answer is yes then you go ahead and take it.”
But what about the critics and the risk of failure?
“If I couldn’t do that then I’m definitely gonna do that now. I’m a very experienced coach and this is where the experience comes into it. I’ve done this journey before so I know exactly the lead of the route.”
Training a boxer around an injury is never an easy task. How did Charles approach this challenge, especially considering Dubois’ knee injury?
“There’s a team around Daniel, and he gets assessed all the time. We’re not gung-ho; we know that he came off the back of an operation and was given the go-ahead by the experts to resume training.”
And what’s the secret behind Dubois’ speedy recovery? Charles chalks it up to youth and good health, coupled with continuous monitoring and rigorous testing.
Some have questioned Dubois’ mental strength. How does Charles view his fighter’s ability to pull through when the going gets tough?
“I have every belief that mentally and physically he’s equipped to deal with any eventuality. He answered a lot of critics in his fight last fight against Kevin Lorena.”
What about facing Oleksandr Usyk and the immense pressure that comes with it?
“Whatever that Mr. Usyk brings on Saturday, I believe we’ve made provisions to accommodate, outpace, and overcome anything that he brings.”
When asked about what’s in store for Usyk, Charles playfully teases:
“Just tuning in on TNT spots and you will see.”
Will Usyk’s age be a factor in this fight? Charles is pragmatic about this:
“His age is a factor of course, there are loads of factors, and that happens to be one of them. We’ve got a good enough game plan to be able to force certain issues.”
There’s much speculation that Dubois must be the aggressor in the fight. Charles agrees with a nuanced view:
“That’s an obvious one, so the public in that sense, they’re right. It’ll be silly to go and play boxing with Usyk because he’s a master of that. Yes, we have to be the aggressor, calculated aggression, and that’s what people will see a fight.”
Does Dubois Need to Stop Usyk?
“I’m afraid the answer to that is yes. We’re not going to get anything gifted to us here; we have to literally go there and seize those titles.”
How to Watch:
- Virgin Media TV Customers: Visit the On-Demand section and choose Live Events if you have a TiVo and/or V6 set-top-box. For Virgin TV360 and/or Stream set-top-box users, go to the Pay Per View Events rail. In the US, watch Usky – Dubois live on ESPN+
- BT TV Customers: Go to channel 494 and pay using the remote control.
- Sky Customers: Purchase TNT Sports Box Office on channel 490 via remote control or online at Sky.
- Online Viewers: Visit TNT Sports and follow instructions to watch on the web or via the TNT Sports Box Office App. You can watch on the big screen using Google Chromecast and Apple Airplay.
- Mobile Bill Option: EE, Three, Vodafone, and O2 customers can choose to add the payment to their mobile bill if watching online or via the app.
The Undercard: Not to be overshadowed, the undercard will kick off the action, live on TNT Sports Box Office from 6pm UK time.
