Daniel Dubois is the man who will end Oleksandr Usyk’s Hall of Fame reign

Oleksandr Usyk was barely known outside hardcore boxing circles when longtime promoter Kalle Sauerland and I first spoke about his venture, the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), back in 2017.

Sauerland called it “a gladiatorial dating game” as fighters from two weight classes, one of which was cruiserweight, sized each other up at a swimming pool in Monte Carlo, ahead of a glamorous red carpet gala that established who’d fight who in the tournament's inaugural quarterfinals.

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I’ll always remember Sauerland telling me that his two $25 million brackets would unearth the next Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, both of whom remained the marquee names in boxing way back then.

Promotional bluster? Perhaps. But maybe Sauerland was onto something.

Only a few, though, would've ever expected Usyk to become that global superstar.

The Ukrainian, a gold medalist from the 2012 Olympic Games, ran rampant through the WBSS, beating Marco Huck by knockout, Mairis Briedis by decision and Murat Gassiev on points. If Usyk wasn’t even favored when the tournament began, he’d quickly become the clear No. 1 in the entire division just one year — and three fights — later.

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After Usyk beat Tony Bellew in late 2018, effectively clearing out the entire cruiserweight division, he moved to heavyweight and outpointed Anthony Joshua (twice) and Tyson Fury (twice) to swiftly establish his era at heavyweight, just as he had done at cruiserweight.

Sauerland’s words eight years ago were prescient — today, Usyk is generally slotted somewhere between No. 1 (as he is for Uncrowned) and No. 3 pound-for-pound in the entire world, depending on how one ranks him, with Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue, the latter of whom is also a WBSS tournament winner.

Sauerland was right all along. His tournaments helped unearth today’s pound-for-pound staples.

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Usyk has enjoyed a generational run in boxing. But great reigns often come to an end.

And, on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London, Daniel Dubois will take Usyk’s throne atop the heavyweight division — and the sport.

'Dynamite' breakout

I’ve only ever had FOMO once after leaving England in 2021 to work in the United States. Britain has fight fandom but Las Vegas has the UFC, big boxing events and an abundance of fighters passing through town for camps. I’ve never regretted the move.

The last fight I ever attended as a beat reporter for boxing in London was Joshua’s first bout against Usyk in 2021, which he lost by lopsided decision. Despite the widespread feeling of disappointment among the 66,227 people who attended, it was an incredible experience as the UK government lifted the last of its stringent, pandemic-related lockdowns on fight week.

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Just heading to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one could feel the sense of freedom that I’ve never wanted to take for granted in the States. It was a carnival atmosphere on the streets of North London even before the opening bell, with music, food trucks selling jerk chicken, and Joshua merch flying off the shelves. There was beer everywhere. Maskless people sung to their heart’s content. London had healed.

The only time I longed to be back in London was when Joshua fought Dubois in 2024. I’d known Dubois since he was an amateur, as he trained in the city’s Peacock Gym, which is the club that taught me to box and prepared me for a couple of low-level “white collar” fights. I’d run on treadmills right next to Dubois. I frequently watched him spar. Everyone at that gym always felt he’d become a champion. It was just a question of when.

Joshua had rebounded from his back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2021-22 by bludgeoning Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou. He was still the dangerous bruiser with the hulking physique who had revitalized the sport in Britain. He was the box office draw. He was a stadium fighter who rivaled the England national soccer team when it came to tickets sold in the country’s biggest venues. He was still the guy who had beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povektin.

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Regardless, Dubois was magnificent on the night, giving Joshua the most ruthless beatdown he’s ever had as a pro — far worse, even, than the humbling Andy Ruiz Jr. gave him in their first bout in 2019. Joshua at least knocked Ruiz to the canvas before he lost by finish. Against Dubois, he was never really in the fight.

Dubois attacked Joshua from the opening bell, out-landing the former two-time heavyweight champ by a ratio greater than two-to-one, and dropping him in the closing seconds with an overhand right. Dubois dropped Joshua again in the third round, the fourth, and, when Joshua attempted to go out swinging in the fifth, Dubois counter-punched him so brilliantly that Joshua almost collapsed through the ropes. The referee counted him out. Joshua’s reign as one of Britain’s best was over.

With Tyson Fury’s retirement, and the victory over Joshua, never had it been clearer that Dubois’ ascension to the British throne was finally complete. Now? His next stop is the world.

For legacy

Dubois is set to challenge Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title on July 19 as he puts his IBF world heavyweight belt on the line alongside Usyk’s WBA, WBC and WBO belts.

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Though they’ve fought once before, with Usyk winning by controversial stoppage in the ninth round, Dubois has gone from strength to strength in the fights since, winning three in a row, all by knockout, against Jarrell Miller, Hrgovic and Joshua.

Against Miller, he was unfazed by his opponent's size and hammered heavy shots while standing in front of the American, absorbing brutal punches to showcase his own resilience, before thumping Miller with right hands and nasty hook shots to force a 10th-round stoppage.

Versus Hrgovic, Dubois boxed with precision and power, with come-forward footwork, and bloodied the Croatian's face with such horrible cuts that the ringside doctor advised the referee to call it all off.

And against Joshua, Dubois pulled off the performance of his career — and now carries extraordinary momentum into his potentially career-defining clash with Usyk.

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An 11-year age gap separates Usyk from Dubois, and while the unified champion’s run has been worthy of induction into boxing’s Hall of Fame, every great reign comes to an end.

Dubois has bounced back from accusations of being a quitter against Joe Joyce in 2020, to showcase impeccable finishing power combined with an ability to withstand shots from a variety of heavyweights.

Marquee victories in boxing can oftentimes be all about timing. With the run of form Dubois has been on, and with Usyk being older and after two wars with Tyson Fury, the timing may never be better for Dubois to dethrone the king, and start his own reign as one of the new generation’s premier fighters.