WBA orders Oleksandr Usyk to fight Daniel Dubois in potential blow to Tyson Fury bout
Usyk and Fury are keen to square off and crown an undisputed heavyweight champion, but – as ever in boxing – it may not be so straightforward
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to defend the WBA heavyweight title against WBA Super champion Daniel Dubois, the news marking a potential hurdle to an undisputed clash with Tyson Fury.
WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Usyk retained his belts in August, outpointing Anthony Joshua 11 months after dethroning the Briton with another decision victory.
Meanwhile, Fury stopped Derek Chisora in an all-British clash this month to retain the WBC title, before facing off with Ukrainian Usyk at ringside.
The two unbeaten fighters were expected to face one other in the first quarter of 2023, but Usyk has now been ordered to defend his WBA belt against Dubois, following another recent order that the Ukrainian defends the IBF title against mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.
With Frank Warren promoting both Fury and fellow Briton Dubois, a deal can likely be struck for the WBA-ordered bout to be delayed. It is unclear how Croatia’s Hrgovic will factor into the picture in the coming months, however.
Dubois last fought on the undercard of Fury’s recent victory over Chisora – the third win that the “Gypsy King” has achieved against the veteran – surviving an early scare to stop Kevin Lerena in Round 3.
The sole defeat of Dubois’ professional career came in 2020 against Joe Joyce, who is WBO interim champion and also promoted by Warren. As a result, any mandated Usyk vs Joyce bought could likely be delayed if necessary.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments