Oleksandr Usyk pointed to Anthony Joshua’s faulty footwork as the main reason for his shock defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
Dubois knocked his compatriot to the canvas in the first round with a stinging right hand, the referee counted eight and the 27-year-old boxer proceeded to shatter pre-fight predictions as quickly as he lashed out at his opponent.
Joshua, 34, took another beating in the second round but managed to weather the storm before the third round came crashing down on him again. With Dubois landing more powerful right hands, Joshua was literally on the ropes before the bell rang.
He could barely stay on his feet at the end of the fourth round, after falling again with two minutes to go, and then it all ended in the fifth round with the painstaking rebuilding of his career suddenly in tatters.
After landing some promising punches, any sign of a comeback was dashed by a right to the chin that sent Joshua to the floor, the former IBF, WBA and IBO champion this time unable to get back to his feet.
“I’m not surprised because this is boxing. Daniel Dubois today was better,” Oleksandr Usyk told Boxing King Media, having watched the fight from ringside. “Anthony had a problem. Because this position [leaning back with feet planted], it’s dangerous. If you want, you step back like this [steps one foot back], not like this [repeats the lean] because this is dangerous. We saw it.”
Joshua tried to take the fight to Dubois, but kept walking into several heavy blows.
“Footwork was the problem, mentality was the problem,” promoter Alex Krassyuk said. “I thought I was seeing a man with AJ’s face, but he was completely different inside.
“It didn’t look like we expected it to look. Did you see his right hand? It was completely on his chest. Then, his chin was up. It was like a fairy tale for any boxer, not just Dubois.”
Usyk has not stepped into the ring since beating Tyson Fury in a split decision in Riyadh in May to become the first unified heavyweight champion in two decades. The pair will meet again on December 21.
“When I win a second time with Tyson Fury, I don’t know what’s next. I want to rest with my family, my children. I want to go to a mountain and ski.”
Asked if he and Fury exchanged a few words at Wembley, Usyk replied with a smile: “A bit, ‘How are you? Blah, blah, blah. Hello! My friend! Hello! He’s my friend with the sweet belly. He’s like my brother! ”
