Daniel Dubois told to 'look in the mirror' after Oleksandr Usyk KO defeat

Daily Mirror

3 days ago

The heavyweight star failed in his quest to become the first British undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis after he was beaten by the Ukrainian
Tony Bellew has slammed Daniel Dubois for having his father in his corner following his agonising defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
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The two heavyweight stars went head-to-head for the undisputed heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium last Saturday. Dubois was looking to level the series after he was stopped by the Ukrainian in their initial clash back in 2023. Two years on, 'Triple D' was unable to become the first man to topple Usyk.
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Usyk controlled proceedings from start to finish. Dubois did have his moments, particularly in the fourth round, but was ultimately stopped deep into the fifth. The Brit was sent crashing to the canvas with a right hand. Despite beating the count, he was eventually hit with a left hand that dropped him for a second time. A dejected Dubois struggled to properly get back to his feet - forcing the referee to wave off the clash.
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Immediately after the showdown, Dubois' father Stan quickly grabbed the headlines. Former world champion Bellew believes the Brit's father should NOT be in his son's corner as well as advising the 27-year-old to 'look in the mirror.' In an interview with EsportsInsider, he said: 'What is his dad doing having any kind of influence in a boxing corner?
"That is not how boxing works. There is a coach there who is employed to give you instructions and not your father. You have no reason to be looking to your father. You do not need your father's approval for anything. You are a grown man. Daniel needs to look in the mirror and say, do I want a box? And then ask himself, who am I boxing for? I think that's the biggest question that Daniel needs to answer. Because if it's for him, he gets up.'
Dubois endured a terrible day both in and out of the ring after he arrived at Wembley just 90 minutes before his rematch with the Ukrainian. 'Triple D' was spotted arriving at the stadium shortly after 8:15pm UK time. It has since been reported that a pre-fight party at the Dubois household and a travel error were to blame. The Brit's father Stan is thought to have hosted a gathering at his Essex home on the afternoon of the fight. Allegedly, the young British heavyweight did not even know all of the guests and left halfway through for a quick drive.
However, he was cutting it close to make it to Wembley on time. Their departure would only cause more problems after Dubois' father requested an extra carrier to transport his group to the venue. There were further delays after Stan drove himself and his son to the stadium.
To their annoyance, their vehicle was not accredited to enter the venue - which shockingly meant that both Dubois and his dad had to walk to the stadium entrance from the car park. The drama did not stop there, though. When they finally arrived, a large group of Dubois' entourage were denied entry. Stan allegedly then told security that his son wouldn't continue without them.
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Dubois' trainer Don Charles later defended the Brit's dad's 'gathering' ahead of the fight. Speaking on talkSPORT's White and Jordan, Charles insisted it was a tactic also used before he beat Anthony Joshua last September. "Let's retract that word, it wasn't a party it was a gathering," he said. "The same gathering was used as the prep on fight day for the AJ fight, the day he won.
"A lot was made of it with the energy he walked out at for the Anthony Joshua fight. That gathering was taken from home to the dressing room for that fight. That energy is what gave birth to that energy that he showed in the ring walk. Yes [we tried to replicate it], we were victorious, if it works for you the first time, you'd do it again.
"There might have been more people for this second gathering to get more energy, I'm a logical man and it makes logical sense. The AJ fight was big but this even trumps it, I try to understand and it may appear madness to people but it was the same thing that got us victory."
When is Daniel Dubois' next fight?
Whether the constant delays on the day of the fight affected Dubois' performance remains to be seen. As for what's next for the young Brit, his promoter Frank Warren has advised 'Triple D' to take six months off and learn from Usyk's mental resilience. He said: "You've got to learn from defeats, I mean that's what life's about, isn't it? You know, not everything goes your way, you got to come back, it's the mark of a man if he can do it, and we'll see if he could do it.
"He's got to resurrect himself. That's what we've had to do. That's the story. Usyk a quality, quality fighter, he has a great boxing IQ, and he's got the most unbelievable mental attitude. That's what makes him. That's what Daniel's got to learn from. Try and get and develop the mental attitude that Usyk has."