HEAVYWEIGHT king Oleksandr Usyk has dismissed an early attempt to undermine his supremacy, with Daniel Dubois ultimately failing to ruffle his feathers.
The pair came face-to-face for the first time since Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs), called for their rematch in December, immediately after his rival claimed a second points victory over Tyson Fury.
At the time, Usyk, 23-0 (14 KOs), seemed irked by the Brit’s disrespect but, with their undisputed clash taking place on July 19, has nonetheless accepted his challenge.
Ahead of their rematch at Wembley Stadium, London, both fighters walked out into the hallowed turf earlier today, with Usyk expecting nothing more than a simple face-off.
Dubois, however, decided to give him a quick but firm shove, moments before adopting his fighting stance, while Usyk was seemingly left baffled by the brief confrontation.
“[The shove was] for show,” the 38-year-old later told talkSPORT. “[The] fight is [on] July 19. Now, it’s just for show. For me, it doesn’t matter.
“I’ve prepared 22 years for this business [boxing]. I love life, and boxing is part of my life.”
Joining his next opponent in the talkSPORT studio soon after, IBF titlist Dubois added: “At the end of the day, it’s a fight, so anytime we’re in each other’s faces, it could kick off.”
Usyk secured a comprehensive ninth-round stoppage victory over ‘Dynamite’ back in 2023, several frames after the referee deemed one of Dubois’ shots to be a low blow.
Since then, the Londoner has claimed that it was, in fact, a legal body shot he landed in the fifth round, accusing the official of denying what would have been a sizable upset.
In any case, Dubois now finds himself on a scintillating run of form, with stoppage victories over Anthony Joshua, Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller only elevating his self-belief.
But while the 27-year-old is firing on all cylinders, Usyk remains supremely confident in his own ability to extend what has become a ruthless surge against British opposition.
Before Dubois entered the talkSPORT studio, Usyk decided to thank Joe Joyce, Derek Chisora, Tony Bellew, Joshua, Dubois and Fury for enhancing his illustrious career.
With regards to who gave him the toughest test, though, ‘The Cat’ ultimately struggled to provide a definitive answer.
“I think [my toughest test was against] Derek, and my first fight [with] Tyson Fury,” he said.
