When Oleksandr Usyk urged Daniel Dubois to "dream" in incredible in-ring moment after 2023 knockout
Daniel Dubois clinched perhaps the biggest win of his career as he knocked out former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua this past weekend, in their IBF title fight in Wembley.
Interestingly, reigning unified heavyweight title holder Oleksandr Usyk might be partly responsible for a second wind in the young Briton's career.
Watch Daniel Dubois KO Anthony Joshua below:
For context, 'Dynamite' was presented with his first world title opportunity when he faced Usyk in Sept. 2023. Despite having moments in the fight and even flooring the Ukrainian in the fifth round, with what was later ruled as a low blow, the 27-year-old was knocked out in the ninth round.
In the aftermath of the loss, Usyk approached a disheartened Dubois to impart some much-needed words of wisdom:
"It's not bad. It's boxing. It's not ballet, it's not dancing. Daniel you [are] young. You can, you can dream. Man, dude relax, it's boxing. It's a tough sport brother."
Catch the pair's interaction below:
'Dynamite' has been unbeaten since that fateful night. Following his dominant win over 'AJ', Dubois might be hoping to get another go at 'The Cat'. However, he will have to wait.
Usky is set to rematch former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in December. When the pair first met in May, it was the Usyk who walked away with a split-decision win.
When Daniel Dubois "felt cheated out of victory" against Oleksandr Usyk
Daniel Dubois believes he deserved the win over Oleksandr Usyk in their 2023 fight. For context, Usyk went crashing down to the canvas in the fifth round after getting hit with a body shot.
The punch was ultimately ruled a low blow and 'The Cat' was granted ample time to recover. The 37-year-old then made a spectacular comeback and knocked out Dubois in the ninth round to defend his unified titles.
'Dynamite' was far from happy with the low-blow ruling. During his post-fight interview, the reigning IBF heavyweight champion slammed the ruling, saying:
"No, I didn't think that was a low blow. I thought landed and I've been cheated out of victory tonight, but what else can I say? What else can I say?"
Catch Daniel Dubois' comments below (0:18):