EXCLUSIVE George Groves reveals Oleksandr Usyk's vulnerability ahead of the Daniel Dubois fight and claims the British heavyweight has 'the kind of power that could change everything in a split second'
Speaking to Mail Sport ahead of the highly anticipated rematch, Groves said he wasn't ready to make a prediction. Not because of uncertainty, but because of how intriguing and unpredictable the contest had become.
'I can't give a prediction because who knows?' Groves said. 'That's the intrigue for anyone following this fight. They've already boxed, and Usyk stopped Dubois. Sure, Frank Warren made a big scene about a low blow – and that's got people split, really.
'But the real story is that Usyk has been phenomenal, unstoppable throughout his entire career. He completed the cruiserweight division, then moved up and unified the heavyweight division. He beat Tyson Fury twice – the man people thought was the No 1 in the division – and now he's done it all.'
Groves pointed to a series of recent developments that could confirm Usyk's desire to retire soon – something he said made the Ukrainian potentially vulnerable in what might be his final fight.
'His manager's just parted ways with him. His best friend in boxing, Lomachenko, has just retired. Everyone around him is wrapping up. If Usyk is doing the same, then that's a dangerous mentality to have in heavyweight boxing – especially against someone like Daniel Dubois, who's in such great form.'
Groves praised Dubois for the way he dismantled Anthony Joshua in September 2024, saying it was the kind of performance that proved the 27-year-old had grown into a serious contender for the undisputed crown.
'He's obviously a heavyweight champion in his own right now, just came off a magnificent win against Joshua – a guy who's been there and done it, dealt with big occasions. Dubois set about him with an almost punch-perfect performance.
'At some point, Usyk is going to get old, and someone's going to catch him at the right time. That could be Daniel tonight, especially with home advantage at Wembley. It's all to play for.'
Asked whether Dubois would need to be perfect and Usyk slightly off for the upset to happen, Groves didn't disagree.
'Yeah. The better fighter is Usyk – he's pound-for-pound one of the best in the world right now. He's never put a foot wrong. He's always had to travel, be the away fighter, and he just gets better as the fight goes on.
'People say they were in it with Usyk early, but that's not enough. He goes through the gears, round after round. Against Fury, I was there, right up close – we've never seen Fury in that sort of trouble. Not like that. So if that version of Usyk shows up, he'll beat Dubois again.'
But Groves said he had seen no signs of complacency in the Ukrainian during fight week, despite the questions surrounding his motivation.
'I saw him at the press conference, and he was the same funny character. He had jokes, pictures of the low blow – he had time for the press. He certainly wasn't asleep at the wheel, which made me think: he's still got it.'
Still, Groves said Dubois had the kind of power that could change everything in a split second.
'Dubois has got enough power to knock anyone out. So if he lands, who knows? He's got to start quick, like he did against Joshua. Hope to land on him. Definitely whack him downstairs.
'No one likes body shots. You catch Usyk there and he backs off. So Dubois needs to get hold of him, stick it on him.'
Looking back at the first fight, Groves felt Dubois never truly had his moment and that the controversial low blow had clouded what was, in truth, a fairly one-sided outcome.
'Usyk might make it tougher for Dubois this time, because he knows a little more about him. But honestly, I don't think Dubois was ever really in the first fight. There was the low blow – it landed on the shorts, the ref called it, and Usyk didn't rush to his feet. After that, he went through the gears and stopped Dubois with a jab.
'Usyk keeps giving you different looks. That's what makes him so elite – you can't switch off. You land once, he adjusts, and you're in trouble again. That's what elite level boxing is.'
And if Dubois does pull it off? Groves said it could go down as one of the greatest British wins of all time.
'A fascinating question, that because we don't know what Usyk's got left. You can't quite put it in the same category as Ruiz vs Joshua, because Ruiz shouldn't have stood a chance. But if Dubois wins tonight, it might be one of the best wins by a British fighter in a very long time.
'To become undisputed champion in the heavyweight division – it'd be an incredible feat. Hard to think of a Brit who's got anywhere near that. And we wish him well.'
Groves finished on a personal note, recalling Dubois' early days.
'He was down here at the Dale Youth Club when he was a kid, won a few titles for us. Even back then, you knew he was special. He's had a few wobbles, but he's come through it, and now he's fighting stadium fights back-to-back. This could be his biggest victory yet.'
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