Eddie Hearn is the latest to weigh in on the debate that continues to surround Daniel Dubois‘s will to carry on in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.
This is an allegation that has followed Dubois around ever since he first stepped up the level of his opposition and fought Joe Joyce back in 2020.
He endured a tough time in that fight with Joyce landing plenty of ramrod jabs, eventually damaging Dubois’s eye and leading him to allow himself to be counted out while looking up at the referee. Though some criticised his decision to stay down, others recognised the significance of the injury and how more damage could have stunted his career.
Since then, Dubois has grown in confidence and come through tough moments in fights with Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic and knocked them both out, although he was also stopped in meek fashion by Oleksandr Usyk in their first fight.
Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Matchroom promoter Hearn had some sympathy for ‘DDD’ following their rematch in which Dubois was stopped inside five rounds.
“It was a big shot. Seeing the first fight, it was a jab. He got hit by a stiff jab, he went down, he let the referee count to 10 in front of him. I think quitting is a very harsh word. He quit in the first fight. Give him the benefit of the doubt in the second fight, he chose not to get up. People will say that’s quitting. It wasn’t a stiff jab, it was a huge left hand. But the fact is he could have got up.”
Dubois must now cut out this noise and has already vowed he will be back. Many believe he still has more than enough ability to get back to being a world champion once more.
