August 27, (THEWILL) – Oleksandr Usyk successfully retained his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on Saturday night, with a stoppage victory over challenger Daniel Dubois in front of a packed crowd in Wroclaw, Poland.
The fight, held in Poland to allow tens of thousands of Usyk’s fellow Ukrainians to attend, featured several dramatic moments before the champion closed the show in the ninth round. The opening rounds were closely contested before the drama unfolded in the fifth when Dubois appeared to land a low blow on Usyk. The referee called time and declared it a low blow, even as Dubois protested.
As the round ended, Dubois landed a couple more borderline shots before Usyk roared back to dominate the end of the round. The action see-sawed over the next few rounds as Dubois pressed Usyk, having him backpedalling at times in the sixth and seventh as the challenger seemed to gain momentum. But, Usyk appeared ready to increase his output as the second half of the fight progressed.
In the eighth round, a combination from Usyk had Dubois in trouble, forcing him to take an eight count as the round ended. Usyk would close the show in the next round, flooring Dubois for the full count with a right hand and retaining his belts via knockout.
With the win, Usyk turns his attention to the long-awaited showdown with fellow heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. However, the bizarre sequence around the low blow in the fifth will likely spark continued debate and controversy.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
