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For All The Gold: Usyk v Dubois 2 Preview And Prediction

Unfinished business will be settled and a new undisputed world heavyweight champion will be crowned when unified WBC, WBO and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk and IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois collide in a blockbuster rematch at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

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Oleksandr Usyk (1.33) v Daniel Dubois (3.50) (Undisputed Heavyweight Championship)

11 PM Saturday SA time

Boxing’s glamour division will have an undisputed king once more come Saturday night.

For the undefeated Usyk, it’s an opportunity to become undisputed for the third time. The legendary Ukrainian earned the distinction at cruiserweight in 2018 and repeated the feat at heavyweight when he handed Tyson Fury his first loss by split decision last May.

The 38-year-old relinquished the IBF belt in order to rematch Fury seven months later and proved he was indeed the better man between the two generational greats by claiming a unanimous decision win, which prompted “The Gypsy King” to retire.

For Dubois, it’s a shot at immortality as he can become the first British undisputed champion since 1999 when Lennox Lewis defeated fellow icon Evander Holyfield for ultimate glory. It’s also an opportunity for validation after his first meeting with Usyk was marred in controversy.

The pair first fought at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2023, where Dubois had Usyk in all sorts of trouble in the fifth round. However, his body shot was deemed illegal by the referee, and Usyk was given four minutes of recovery time. Deflated by the ruling and ultimately stopped in the ninth, Dubois has never agreed with the controversial career and has sought a rematch ever since.

Since that loss to Usyk, the 27-year-old has come into his own and strung together three huge wins by overcoming the previously undefeated Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, followed by a Wembley destruction of former two-time unified champion Anthony Joshua.

His IBF interim title triumph over Hrgovic was later upgraded to full champion status, with his encounter with Joshua being his first defence of the title. A scheduled second defence against former WBO champion Joseph Parker in February was called off at late notice due to illness.

Never before has an undisputed heavyweight championship been fought for on British soil, and attendance and viewing figure records in the UK and Europe are likely to be shattered on what will be a monumental night for the sport.

The matchup, scheduled for 12 rounds, is one of finesse versus blunt force power.

Usyk is a ring general extraordinaire, an Olympic gold medalist boasting a perfect professional record of 23-0 with 14 knockouts. Nicknamed “The Cat”, the southpaw’s technical prowess, ring IQ, and masterful movement allow him to topple his larger foes.

Whereas Usyk’s a tactical master, Dubois is a dynamic destroyer. Known as “Dynamite”, he’s 22-2 with 21 knockouts. At six-foot-five, he’s two inches taller than his decorated opponent; however, they have an identical 78-inch reach. The younger man by 11 years, Dubois believes his time is now and that he’s going to send Usyk into retirement.

Dubois has improved tenfold since his maiden meeting with Usyk and has become a master of defying the odds. Just ask the vaunted Joshua how much being the favourite helped him. That said, unlike Joshua, Usyk is the total package. He’s as mentally strong as he is physically and tactically gifted.

Having tasted Dubois’ power and seen his rise since their first fight, Usyk won’t underestimate his foe this time around. He’ll be particularly tight with his punches and defensively responsible, and Dubois’ aggressiveness should open the door for him to spoil the party for most of the near-100,000 fans in attendance who’ll be backing the local hero. 

Prediction: Usyk by TKO.

Best Bet: Usyk by KO/TKO/DQ at 2.25.

Alternative Bet: Under 10.5 rounds at 1.83.

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