Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2: Classic heavyweight rematches revisited

Independent

22-07-2025

Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will lock horns once more in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night for the right to be called the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Their first meeting two years ago went the way of the Ukrainian, but Dubois maintains that a low blow that floored Usyk in the fifth round was a legitimate shot and should have led to a knockout victory in his favour.
After being given time to recover, Usyk regained control of the contest and went on to stop his British rival inside nine rounds.
Now, Dubois will have the chance for revenge in a highly-anticipated return bout.
There have been some classic heavyweight rematches - let's take a look at 10 of the very best…
Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman
Lennox Lewis was the best heavyweight on the planet by a distance at the turn of the millennium and he was not expected to be significantly challenged when he travelled to South Africa to face Hasim Rahman in April 2001.
But in the fifth round, Lewis was caught by a huge overhand right and he was in no position to continue when he rose to his feet as Rahman pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent heavyweight history.
Lewis would later claim that he had been distracted by activities away from the ring, while the high altitude in South Africa was also raised as a potential reason for his lacklustre performance.
Seven months later, Lewis went back in with Rahman, this time in Las Vegas.
A razor-focused Lewis took control from the opening bell, and in the fourth round he picked his moment to unleash a vicious right hand that left Rahman flat on his back.
The referee did not even need to count, and Lewis had his redemption.
Muhammad Ali vs Henry Cooper
Muhammad Ali faced the hugely popular Henry Cooper at Wembley in June 1963, and it almost all went horribly wrong for 'The Greatest'.
In the closing stages of the fourth round, Cooper landed his signature left hook on Ali's jaw to knock the American down.
The bell rang shortly afterwards, and Ali was then given extra time in his corner after his trainer Angelo Dundee pointed out to the referee a split in one of his gloves.
That was enough time for Ali to recover and he went back out to stop Cooper on cuts the following round.
After narrowly avoiding a shock loss, Ali would go on to become world champion in 1964, but two years later he returned to London to face Cooper again at Highbury.
Despite Cooper having the crowd behind him, Ali dominated the rematch and picked up a sixth-round stoppage victory.
Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey
This rematch from September 1927 has gone down in folklore as 'The Long Count Fight'.
Jack Dempsey had been the best heavyweight for the first half of the 1920s but was surprisingly beaten on points by Gene Tunney in 1926.
The return fight took place a year later and Dempsey knocked Tunney down in the seventh round. However, Dempsey did not go to the neutral corner immediately, leading to the count starting late.
Almost a century later, debate still remains over how important those extra few seconds were for Tunney as he bounced back to secure another unanimous decision win.
It would prove to be the final fight of Dempsey's glittering career, while Tunney fought once more before hanging up his gloves.
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder
Tyson Fury was only months into his comeback from almost three years away from the ring when he fought Deontay Wilder for the first time in December 2018.
The Brit showed few signs of ring rust as he boxed off the back foot to earn a draw, despite being knocked down twice.
A rematch simply had to happen, and it was scheduled for February 2020. After having a little over a year to make adjustments, Fury completely changed his tactics and walked down Wilder from the first bell.
His front-foot strategy worked as he knocked Wilder down twice and then trapped his rival in the corner, leading to Wilder's corner throwing the towel in during the seventh round.
The rematch was conclusive enough for most fans, but a third fight did take place the following year. Once again, it was Fury who came out on top, this time stopping Wilder in the 11th round.
Lennox Lewis vs Evander Holyfield
The battle for heavyweight supremacy saw Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield face one another in March 1999.
Many ringside observers felt Lewis did more than enough to get his hand raised, but the fight was scored a split decision draw to the disgust of the Brit.
Exactly eight months later, it was time to settle the score.
The Las Vegas rematch appeared far closer than the first fight, but this time there was a winner. Lewis was declared the victor to become the final undisputed champion of the 20th century.
Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks
Ali was way past his best when he suffered a surprise loss to Leon Spinks in February 1978 to relinquish his heavyweight titles.
The days of the 'Rumble in the Jungle' and the 'Thrilla in Manila' were long gone, and many wondered how much Ali had left.
He accepted an immediate rematch with Spinks as he tried to become a three-time heavyweight champion at the age of 36.
The ageing legend had to dig deep to overcome his much younger foe, but managed to get over the line to get a decision victory.
It would prove to be the final win of his iconic career.
Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling
The two fights between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling came at a time of rising political tensions in the 1930s.
Louis was the most successful black boxer of the time, while Schmeling hailed from Germany who were being ruled by the Nazis.
It was Schmeling who took Louis' unbeaten record in 1936 by stopping his opponent in the 12th round.
Louis got his shot at revenge two years later, and he took it emphatically. The heavyweight great knocked his opponent out in the first round to regain his crown.
Evander Holyfield vs Riddick Bowe
Riddick Bowe ended Evander Holyfield's reign as heavyweight champion when he outpointed him in November 1992 in Las Vegas.
It was a highly-competitive contest, leading to a rematch being arranged for the following year.
Once again, both men stood toe-to-toe as they exchanged leather but there was one particular incident that the rematch will always be remembered for.
During the second minute of the seventh round, parachutist James 'Fan Man' Miller crashed into the ring, causing the bout to be delayed by 21 minutes.
Once the fight resumed, Holyfield went on to record a majority decision win. A trilogy bout followed, with Bowe knocking Holyfield out in the eighth round to end their rivalry.
Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston
Ali was the underdog when he was handed the chance to dethrone Sonny Liston in February 1964.
But after trash-talking Liston for months, Ali then delivered in the ring as he outboxed his rival over six rounds to announce himself as the best heavyweight in the world.
The following year, in his first fight since changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, the rematch took place.
The second fight was even easier for Ali as he knocked Liston out in a little over two minutes.
A right hand sent Liston down, although some were unconvinced as to how well the blow connected. It became known as the 'Phantom Punch' with some questioning whether Liston may have stayed down to intentionally lose the fight.
Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson
We've saved the most controversial for last.
Mike Tyson had regained his titles from Frank Bruno when he fought Holyfield for the first time, but it was Holyfield who upset the odds to stop Tyson in the 11th round.
It was an all-time classic bout, with Holyfield having to withstand Tyson's early onslaughts before coming on strong in the latter part of the fight.
The rematch took place the following summer, with Tyson aiming to follow in Ali's footsteps by becoming a three-time champion.
However, Tyson quickly grew frustrated with what he believed to be excessive use of the head by Holyfield.
In a moment that has gone down in boxing history, Tyson stunningly decided to bite Holyfield's ear.
Holyfield immediately reacted furiously, but the referee did not initially spot what had happened. Tyson went in for a second bite, and this time the referee did intervene as he stepped in to disqualify Tyson.
Pandemonium ensued in the ring as security tried to keep both teams apart. Tyson was handed a suspension, and did not return to the ring for another 18 months.