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The Independent
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The key weapon Daniel Dubois must use better in Oleksandr Usyk rematch
The jab is the simplest and most effective weapon in the arsenal of any fighter. It is both an offensive and defensive tool - scoring points and serving as a placeholder for follow-up punches. Whilst Daniel Dubois is known for his concussive power, his jab is an underrated asset that he deploys to set up highlight reel knockouts. However, in his first encounter with Oleksandr Usyk, it proved ineffective. But why was this the case, and are there any changes Dubois can make in the rematch this weekend to bring his jab back into play and claim the undisputed title? Statistics gathered from the first Usyk vs Dubois fight and the next three fights of the Brit tell an interesting story. Activity level Having an active jab is important both on the attack and on the back foot. It allows a fighter to break the rhythm of their opponent in retreat and force them into their defensive shape going forward. In Wrocław in 2023, Dubois threw 163 jabs at an average of 18.1 per round. When compared to his following fights against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, it is easy to see that Dubois was not firing his jab off enough against Usyk. In his next three fights, he averaged nearly 30 more jabs thrown at 192.3, which is a more impressive number when considering none of those fights went the distance. Against a man like Usyk, having an inactive jab allows him to get into a rhythm and put his stamina and output advantages to work. Even if it isn't always landing, a jab acts as a deterrent, especially one with the power of Dubois behind it. His best-performing round for jab output against Usyk, round two, was still the lowest total of any of his following three fights with Miller, Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. Accuracy Dubois' jab accuracy was one of his biggest failings in the first fight. From his total of 163 jabs thrown, only 10 landed in the entire fight. That gives him 6.1 per cent accuracy rate. For context, through his next three fights, he averaged 58.3 jabs landed at 23.8 per cent accuracy - almost a fourfold increase in accuracy percentage against Miller, Hrgovic and Joshua. If you convert that into jabs landed per round against Usyk, it reveals a shocking 1.1 jabs hit the target for Dubois. This perfectly exemplifies where it went wrong for Dubois. When the jab is failing to find the target, Dubois is stifled and cannot set up any of his work, which leaves him at sea, desperately trying to counterattack against a master technician in Usyk. In the first fight, he tried to use his jab to close the distance to Usyk and follow up with a powerful right hand to the head or body. But when the jab does not land on the target, it forces Dubois to reset and try again, allowing Usyk to counterattack. Who is responsible for the ineffective jab? It would be easy to blame the man throwing the jab for its inefficiency, and against any other fighter, you might be right. But with the benefit of being able to compare his performances, it shows us that it was Usyk who nullified the jab of Dubois. Usyk used educated and varied pressure to force Dubois to miss. His smart defence incorporates in-and-out movement, a high guard, and plenty of lateral movement to never present a static target or come forward in a straight line. If we compare this to Jarrell Miller, who also put the pressure on Dubois throughout the fight, we see that Dubois used his jab as a much more effective weapon. Miller's pressure, in comparison to Usyk, was uneducated, plodding forward and following Dubois rather than cutting off the ring. This makes it exponentially easier to land a jab. This shows in the stats. Dubois landed his jab with 46.2 per cent accuracy against Miller, having thrown almost double, compared to the aforementioned 6.1 per cent against Usyk. Usyk's ability to maintain his variety, output and movement at heavyweight is something a traditional heavyweight like Dubois is always going to struggle to adjust to. It's clear that Usyk won the battle of the jabs and was able to use his southpaw tricks to muzzle Dubois' lead hand. The Ukrainian threw 101 more jabs than Dubois and landed four times as many. What can Dubois do in the rematch? The number one priority for Dubois in the rematch should be to slow the feet of Usyk. This was a major factor in his jab being ineffective. Usyk operates out of a strong high guard, which he added to his game when he made his foray into the heavyweight division. Dubois can use this to access the body by throwing a feint jab to the head to freeze his guard. He could then follow up with a spearing jab just above the protector of Usyk in the early goings, and the investment will pay dividends in the late rounds, slowing down the feet of the unified champion. It is, of course, not quite as simple as that. Usyk will have a game plan of his own. But if Dubois can focus his early offence on the body, then he can look to capitalise as Usyk makes his adjustments through the middle rounds and land some heavy combinations behind his jab. Watch Usyk versus Dubois 2 live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday - July 19 - for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW. Buy the PPV now here.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 predictions, odds, picks: Will the third time be the charm for Serrano?
For years, women's boxing was an afterthought — hidden in the background and buried on male-dominated cards. But on Friday night at the most iconic arena in the world, Madison Square Garden, the spotlight belongs entirely to the women. After two unforgettable wars, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are set to do it all over again for the undisputed super lightweight title in the main event. And that's not the only undisputed title fight on offer either. Taylor vs. Serrano is one of three undisputed championship contests on Friday's 8-fight all-women's card that will surely be enjoyed by a multi-million audience on Netflix. Advertisement Three undisputed title fights, two unification bouts, the WBC interim world title, a top prospect, and a contender looking to go again — what a card we have in front of us on Friday. Let's dive in and break it all down. Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. Undisputed super lightweight title: Katie Taylor (+160) vs. Amanda Serrano (-188) Taylor vs. Serrano is no ordinary trilogy. Fight fans are used to seeing the third installment of a rivalry when the series is tied 1–1 — or, in the case of Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3, 1-0-1. It's rare we get a trilogy when the same fighter has won both prior meetings. A recent example is Fury vs. Derek Chisora, but let's be honest: few were clamoring to see that a third time. Advertisement Each of the first three bouts between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez had an element of controversy, prompting a fourth fight despite Pacquiao being 2-0-1 up. If you go further back, to the mid-1970s, Alan Minter and Kevin Finnegan fought three times for the British middleweight title. Minter won all three, but many felt Finnegan was unlucky not to get the nod in at least one of them. Taylor vs. Serrano is a different animal altogether. Taylor leads 2-0 — yet, somehow, enters the third fight as the underdog. That might seem hard to fathom at first glance, but with a deeper analysis, it begins to make sense. While the consensus was that Taylor deserved the nod in their first bout, many believed Serrano should've had her hand raised in the rematch. Taylor won it on all three scorecards by a single point — 95-94 — the same as our card at Uncrowned. Taylor's best assets — her sharp hands and fleet feet — are attributes that tend to diminish with age and mileage. Some believed that moment had already arrived following her loss to Chantelle Cameron in May 2023. But, as she so often does, Taylor dug deep and found a way to edge the rematch six months later. Now 39, with another ten grueling rounds on the clock, time is running out on one of boxing's most decorated careers. Advertisement After her second win over Serrano, Taylor admitted — for the first time — that the end is near. And as the old saying goes, once a fighter starts talking retirement, they've already got one foot out the door. That's when the decline tends to show. Serrano, at 36, isn't a spring chicken either, but her style is less reliant on youth and reflexes. And in women's boxing, where the punches carry less weight than in the men's game, Serrano has more manageable wear and tear than a male fighter with her style and pro experience would. Taylor and Serrano have given us two razor-close fights already, and I expect the third to be just as fierce — but this time, I see Serrano walking away with her hand raised. Pick: Serrano Alycia Baumgardner and Jennifer Miranda pose after weighing in for their championship fight. (Ed Mulholland via Getty Images) Undisputed super featherweight title: Alycia Baumgardner (-1800) vs. Jennifer Miranda (+1000) In the night's co-feature, Alycia Baumgardner puts her undisputed title on the line against Jennifer Miranda in Baumgardner's debut for Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. Baumgardner was last in action this past September, where her fight with Define Person ended in an early technical decision due to a cut sustained by Persoon during the fight. Advertisement Although unbeaten, Miranda is largely an unknown quantity and at 38 years old, this is likely her one and only chance at establishing herself as an elite fighter. Nothing in her resume or amateur pedigree suggests she'll be able to accomplish that against Baumgardner, though. Baumgardner, now under Derrick James, should be too athletic and strong for Miranda — who is a long-range counterpuncher but often neglects defense. As soon as Baumgardner breaks the distance, she should be able to control the proceedings up close and consistently connect with power shots on Miranda. Miranda also has slow feet, so it won't be difficult to pin her down. Pick: Baumgardner Savannah Marshall and Shadasia face off for the IBF and WBO super middleweight championship. (Stephen McCarthy via Getty Images) Unified super middleweight title: Savannah Marshall (-700) vs. Shadasia Green (+475) For Savannah Marshall, it is her first boxing match in two years, since she defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn to win the undisputed super middleweight title. Shadasia Green's lone career defeat comes at the hands of Crews-Dezurn. Advertisement Green was last in action against Melinda Watpool this past November, where she edged a controversial split decision. She was outworked for large periods during the fight and fatigued in the mid-rounds after a strong start. The big-punching Marshall will be able to capitalize on these shortcomings as she fights in an aggressive manner. I expect Marshall's work rate and experience to be enough to overcome Green. Pick: Marshall Ellie Scotney and Yamileth Mercado pose after weighing in for their upcoming fight at Madison Square Garden. (Ed Mulholland via Getty Images) Unified super bantamweight title: Ellie Scotney (-700) vs. Yamileth Mercado (+525) It's been a faultless pro journey for Ellie Scotney, who, at 10-0, has established herself as the No. 1 fighter at 122 pounds. Scotney claimed the IBF super bantamweight title with victory over Cherneka Johnson in June 2023 and then added the WBO title to her name by beating Segolene Lefebvre. Advertisement Mercado has been a champion for almost 6 years. What she lacks in amateur pedigree, she makes up for in her pro experience. The Mexican was soundly beaten by Amanda Serrano up at featherweight in 2021, but down at super bantam, she has made nine successful defenses. Perhaps the biggest was her win over Ramla Ali in June 2024. Although not landing the eye-catching punches, Mercado overwhelmed Ali with volume on that occasion. Scotney is one of the finest technicians in the women's game. She places her punches well, and they are always delivered with crispness. Scotney's head movement and footwork will also be a challenge for Mercado to overcome. Pick: Scotney Cherneka Johnson and Shurretta Metcalf ahead of their undisputed bantamweight championship fight. (Stephen McCarthy via Getty Images) Undisputed bantamweight title: Cherneka Johnson vs. Shurretta Metcalf Since losing her super bantamweight title to Scotney, Johnson moved down to bantamweight and claimed the WBA title there with a win over Nina Hughes, which was repeated this past March by stoppage. Advertisement Metcalf is coming off back-to-back triumphs over Miyo Yoshida, the second of which saw her crowned IBF bantamweight champion. Both wins were controversial, which explains Metcalf's position as a significant underdog in this matchup. Johnson, on the other hand, looks to have found her weight class at bantamweight, as she is in the midst of her prime years at 30. Pick: Johnson Undercard quick picks:
