Daniel Dubois urged to use Frank Bruno as inspiration after crushing Usyk defeat

Yahoo

a day ago

Daniel Dubois is not expected to fight for at least six months but has been urged to draw inspiration from Frank Bruno in his attempt to bounce back from a second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Dubois lost for the third time in his career after he was stopped in the fifth round at Wembley on Saturday night to new undisputed world heavyweight champion Usyk.
British boxer Dubois (22-3, 21KOs) played his part in four highly-competitive rounds but was put down by a vicious right punch and while he bravely made the count, Usyk delivered a sensational left hit titled 'Ivan' to bring the rematch to a close.
It means former IBF-belt holder Dubois is back in rebuild territory – like in 2023 after his first loss to Usyk in Poland – and Queensberry chief Frank Warren challenged the 27-year-old to regroup again.
Warren talked up the example of Dubois' compatriot Bruno, who lost his first three world titles fights before he finally clinched the WBC belt in his 44th bout back in 1995.
Asked how long Dubois will need out of the ring, Warren said: 'About six months out. It won't be before then.
'I thought up until that (fifth) round it was a pretty good fight to watch. Daniel is obviously very disappointed.
'He has got to learn from it. He is only 27. I look at Frank Bruno for example, three times he fought for a world title and he got it on the fourth attempt.
'Daniel has won a world title so hopefully he will come back, but the bottom line is it was Usyk's night and he is a special, special boxer.'
Dubois earned this opportunity after a golden 10-month period where he stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, but Usyk again showed the difference in level at the summit of the blue-riband division.
Warren felt Dubois got 'careless' during round five after he had pushed Usyk early on during a pulsating contest in London.
'That is what Daniel needs to learn from this fight, to try and learn and develop the mental attitude that Usyk has,' Warren explained.
'Daniel didn't stick to the task, he got careless, he dropped his hands and paid the price.
'For Daniel now, he'll have a little break, think about things and he has got to resurrect himself.
'What level? He's got to come back and make a statement. He needs to make a statement against a quality fighter like he did last time.
'There are lots of fighters over the years who have been beaten and come back even stronger. That is what he has to do.
'He can punch, he can hurt you and it's just developing other aspects of his game.'
Dubois' trainer Don Charles backed his fighter to bounce back, with Joseph Parker a potential option in 2026 if Usyk was to vacate his WBO title or low-key domestic bouts with Derek Chisora, Dillian Whyte or Joe Joyce, who won their first encounter five years ago.
Charles added: 'We tried to get going. He is a young champion Daniel Dubois, 27 years old, remarkable what he has achieved to date.
'He will be back from this stronger. Usyk is a generational great, if you're going to lose to someone, lose to someone like that. He'll be back from this.'