Daniel Dubois faced tough criticism from former boxer Dave Allen after his recent loss to Oleksandr Usyk. Allen watched the fight again and came to a harsh conclusion about Dubois' performance.
The rematch for the undisputed heavyweight championship took place at Wembley Stadium. Usyk, the skilled Ukrainian champion, outboxed Dubois and stopped him in the fifth round.
Allen shared his thoughts on the fight in a recent interview. He said:
"I think he was hurt, he was knackered, but his head had gone, head had fell off completely. He just wanted to get out of there, win, lose or draw, he wanted the fight over as quick as possible. Mentally fatigued. 99% of that is Usyk, he did land some big shots but he quit again, he quit. That's the third time now."
Allen noted that while Usyk's knockout punch was good, he didn't see it as a definite fight-ender. He observed that Dubois got up at the count of ten and walked straight past Usyk to the corner, seeming fine.
This isn't the first time Dubois has faced such accusations. In 2020, he took a knee and was counted out against Joe Joyce, though he had severe eye damage from Joyce's jabs. Last year, in his first fight with Usyk, Dubois went down from a jab and stayed down in the ninth round.
At 27, Dubois has shown promise with stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua. But his losses, especially this recent one to Usyk, have raised questions about his mental toughness in the ring.
Allen, who has admitted to quitting himself in a fight against Frazer Clarke, believes Dubois was mentally exhausted, mostly due to Usyk's skill and pressure.
Some in the boxing world might find Allen's view too harsh, given how hard Usyk can hit. Dubois has said he'll rest up and come back stronger.
As for Usyk, he might face Joseph Parker next if he keeps fighting. The heavyweight division continues to be full of drama and tough matchups.
You can watch Allen's full comments about the fight on YouTube.
