Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round of their heavyweight title fight. The bout saw Usyk put his IBF, WBC, WBA, and WBO belts on the line against the challenger known as "DDD."
Before the fight, Dubois' father threw a party at his son's house. Many fans criticized this decision, questioning why there'd be a gathering just hours before such an important match.
Don Charles, Dubois' trainer, explained the reasoning behind this unusual pre-fight routine. He pointed to a similar gathering before Dubois' fight with Anthony Joshua last September.
"If it worked for you the first time, it's highly likely you're going to replicate that. There might have been more people granted for this second gathering, to get more energy."
Charles described how the energy from that earlier gathering carried into the dressing room. Friends and family members surrounded Dubois, leading to an energetic ring walk at Wembley. The result? Dubois knocked out Joshua inside five rounds.
That big victory over Joshua led to this title shot against Usyk. Given the higher stakes, the team tried to replicate and amplify their previous success.
"It may appear madness to a lot of people but it's the same method that got us the victory," Charles said. "Stan Dubois with his extraordinary methods would try and replicate it."
Charles admitted he wasn't at the pre-fight gathering himself. He noted that while he knew most of the attendees, he couldn't say for certain that Daniel knew everyone there.
In his interview with Talksport, Charles acknowledged the significance of this fight against Usyk. "This trumps it. I didn't think that was possible," he said, comparing it to the Joshua bout.
Despite the team's explanation, most fans still think the pre-fight party was a mistake. The criticism focuses on how Dubois' team handled fight day preparations.
In the end, the result speaks for itself. Usyk's fifth-round knockout of Dubois allowed him to retain his undisputed heavyweight champion status.
