Daniel Dubois has shown he has ‘quit in his DNA’ which Oleksandr Usyk will expose in their world title showdown on Saturday, according to former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson.
The Londoner has travelled to Poland seeking to dethrone IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Usyk, who turned in two masterful displays against Anthony Joshua to win and successfully defend his belts in his last two fights.
Dubois, 25, has won 19 of his 20 professional fights with his only blemish coming against Joe Joyce in a huge domestic dust-up back in November 2020. Joyce picked up the victory that night after Dubois was unable to beat the referee’s count in the 10th round, beaten into submission by his London rival and suffering heavy damage over to his left eye.
Dubois has won four fights on the bounce since then, picking up the WBA ‘regular’ belt against Trevor Bryan last summer before climbing off the canvas three times to put away Kevin Lerena in December.
While ‘Dynamite’ Dubois plenty of heart that night against Lerena having also suffered a serious knee injury in that bout, Nelson believes there are serious questions marks over his spirit in the ring, particularly up against such a skilled operator like Usyk.
‘Dubois showed he has quit in his DNA. That might be part of [his] naivety but he showed he has that in him,’ Nelson told Metro.co.uk.
‘And once a fighter has shown that he has it in him, it gives the other fighter more energy, more drive, more ambition to put a fighter under pressure. He has got quit in him and Usyk knows it.
Dubois took a knee and was unable to meet the referee’s count against Joyce (Picture: Getty)
‘He is a brilliant fighter but he has that in him. And it is something you can’t just shake off. I’m quite sure he hasn’t wanted to switch off and quit mid-fight, but it’s in you and you can do nothing about it. We will see when the pressure is on again if maturity changes things but I don’t think so. Nothing can change it.’
While Usyk is a heavy favourite, Dubois’ ferocious power poses a threat to the champion, who also counts victories over Derek Chisora and Tony Bellew pn his list of wins over British fighters.
Usyk has beaten Anthony Joshua in his last two fights (Picture: Getty)
Nelson believes Dubois’ only chance is to immediately swarm the former cruiserweight king and demonstrate that power that has seen him secure 18 of his 19 wins via stoppage.
But such is Usyk’s supreme skillset, he believes the champion will find a way to negate everything the challenger throws at him.
‘Daniel Dubois has shown me a side to him. He is a lovely kid whose still learning and he has to take the bumps with the glory. But we have seen chinks in the armour. We know what Daniel is capable of and you have to take this chance because the opportunity is there.
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‘But the fact is, Usyk is far too clever, a smarter pressure fighter, for Dubois to make any difference. Even strength wise, Usyk will negate that strength, in terms of boxing ability it is clear who you lean with.
‘Dubois has a puncher’s chance but that is about it. He needs to jump on him quick. Because the longer this fight goes the bigger the beating he’s going to get.’
Johnny Nelson is an ambassador for MBST Therapy At The Core Primrose Hill www.atthecore.health
MORE : Joe Joyce suffers surprise stoppage defeat to Zhilei Zhang
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Dubois challenges for the Ukrainian’s world titles on Saturday but for Johnny Nelson, mental scars from his defeat to Joe Joyce are still there.