Daniel Dubois faced criticism after his rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk, with some claiming he quit. Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis stepped in to share his thoughts on the matter.
Dubois, known as 'DDD', has a reputation as a hard-hitting heavyweight. He's no stranger to controversy in the ring. In 2022, he took a knee due to eye damage from jabs in a fight against Joe Joyce. While initially criticized, this decision was later accepted as preventing a career-ending injury.
In his recent rematch with Usyk, Dubois struggled. Usyk dominated most of the fight, dropping Dubois twice in the fifth round. After the second knockdown, Dubois got to his knee at the count of nine. The referee waved off the fight before Dubois could walk back to his corner.
Former super middleweight Paul Smith suggested Dubois quit. Lewis, who became undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999, responded to these claims on social media.
It's easy to say or think what Dubois could have done in the moment, but you're not in his head knowing what his senses are. I've been knocked down twice in my career, the second time probably wasn't even the hardest I'd ever been hit… but for some reason, it shook everything up.
In that moment, you have 10 seconds to make sense of it all and recover. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. It's just part of the sport… but also why it makes it so exciting.
Lewis gave Dubois the benefit of the doubt. He explained how difficult it can be to recover in just 10 seconds and shared his personal experience of being knocked down.
Dubois has bounced back from losses before. Many believe he can still become a two-time world champion. For now, he'll need to rest, recover, and reflect on this experience.
Lewis's comments remind us that only the fighter truly knows what happens in those crucial moments. The sport's excitement comes from these unpredictable situations, where split-second decisions can change everything.
