Roy Jones Jr has looked back on Oleksandr Usyk’s 2023 victory over Daniel Dubois as the pair are set to run it back this summer.
Current IBF champion Dubois will get a second shot at WBC, WBA and WBO titlist Usyk on July 19, two years after the pair first fought out in Poland. The Brit’s team are adamant that they deserve this rematch due to a controversial fifth round in which Dubois put Usyk down with what was immediately ruled a low blow.
Usyk was given all the time he needed to recover, which he took, and went on to stop ‘DDD” in the ninth round after controlling most of the action throughout. Dubois, his trainer Don Charles and promoter Frank Warren have been extremely vocal ever since, claiming that the shot in the fifth was a legal body blow.
Since then, the 27-year-old has been on a fine run that saw him stop Jarell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. Usyk meanwhile beat Tyson Fury to become the undisputed champion, before vacating the IBF strap to honour a rematch in December, which he also won.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Roy Jones Jr gave his view on the controversial incident, saying that though he felt it was a legal shot, he could understand the pain.
“I didn’t think it was low, I thought it was a good shot … Sometimes when it’s borderline, if the cup makes contact it’s gonna hurt you.”
Dubois was due to fight in February against Joseph Parker but pulled out due to illness. He will return against Usyk and get the chance to win undisputed honours on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London.
