Frank Warren appeals for Dubois vs. Usyk rematch following controversial low blow decision
Posted : 06 September 2023
Promoter Frank Warren has officially appealed to the WBA for Daniel Dubois' loss to Oleksandr Usyk to be declared a no contest and a rematch ordered. Dubois, a British heavyweight, knocked down Usyk during their bout in Poland, but it was ruled a low blow by the referee. Usyk, the Ukrainian heavyweight champion, went on to stop Dubois in the ninth round to retain his unified heavyweight titles. The appeal was lodged on Tuesday, and if the decision is not overturned, Warren hopes the sanctioning body will still order a rematch.
During the fight, Puerto Rican official Luis Pabon allowed Usyk nearly four minutes of recovery time after reviewing a replay on the stadium's big screens, which appeared to show Dubois' punch landing on Usyk's beltline. Dubois, who was the WBA mandatory challenger, expressed feeling cheated out of victory immediately after the fight. He did not attend the post-fight news conference, while Warren and trainer Don Charles criticized the decision. Usyk and his team maintained that the low-blow ruling was correct.
The punch's legality divided opinions within the boxing community, with former world champion Carl Frampton stating it was legal on TV commentary, while some boxers, including Usyk's former opponent Tony Bellew, believed it was a low blow. If a rematch is not ordered, Usyk may face Croatia's IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic, or an undisputed fight with Britain's WBC champion Tyson Fury is being discussed for early next year.
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