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‘Can’t Teach You Anything’ – Joshua Told To Fire Ben Davidson

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Anthony Joshua Ben Davidson

Anthony Joshua has been told to leave his trainer, Ben Davidson, following his loss to Daniel Dubois.

Roy Jones Jr. made those comments as Joshua was dropped four times on his way to a fifth-round stoppage defeat. Joshua failed to become a three-time heavyweight champion as Dubois retained his IBF Heavyweight Belt. The victory means that Dubois is now able to face the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who fight on December 21.

Joshua had been chasing an undisputed fight since 2019 when talks over the Deontay Wilder fight broke down. Joshua would lose his belts to Usyk, while Wilder did the same to Fury. Joshua now faces some serious question marks moving forward. In his post-fight comments, he confirmed that he would not retire. During his time with Ben Davidson, Joshua was perceived as being back to his best self. He had stopped Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in his last two fights.

Joshua Told To Fire Ben Davidson | Boxing News

READ: WATCH: Bob Arum Has Bad News For Anthony Joshua

Joshua was fighting more on the front foot. But looking back, it may have been because he was not facing big-name fighters. There is a suggestion that Davidson’s advice let him down. He advised Joshua to use an uppercut, even though he had been dropped numerous times. Joshua took that advice when he landed consecutive right hands on Dubois, followed by an uppercut to leave himself open. Dubois reacted by landing a counter right hand to end the fight. Jones has called on Joshua to leave Davidson for a different trainer with more boxing experience.

“It takes real boxing knowledge to prepare yourself and get better. If you don’t have someone with real IQ and boxing knowledge who has been there and done that, they can’t teach you anything. You need someone who can charter those seas when they get tough. I don’t think Ben Davison has been in enough fights. Ben has done a lot of coaching, but it’s hard when you haven’t been there yourself.

“Some guys get lucky, but it’s very difficult for a coach who hasn’t been there himself. I can’t tell you how to swim through the ocean if I’ve never swam through the ocean before. I’m sorry. It’s nothing against Ben Davison because he’s been good, but when you get in that deep water and you ain’t been in that deep water, that shark invested water, it’s hard for you to tell somebody what it’s like because you’ve never been there,” Roy Jones Jr. said 

The problem facing Joshua is that he has had numerous trainers since leaving Rob McCracken after losing the first Oleksandr Usyk fight. Joshua parted ways as he teamed up with Robert Garcia for the Usyk rematch. Joshua lost that fight as Garcia would then depart. AJ eventually found himself working with Derrick James, who was based in the United States.

There was hope that Joshua could benefit from a change in scenery, as he was in camp with other big names such as Errol Spence Jr, Jermall Charlo and Ryan Garcia. But Joshua’s wins under James were unconvincing. He looked far from his best against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. However, Jones could ultimately become a name in that conversation since he has experience training Chris Eubank Jr., but whether that will suit Joshua’s style is anyone’s guess.

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BOXING

Sebastian Fundora Breaks Silence After Terence Crawford’s Bombshell Allegation

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Sebastian Fundora Terence Crawford

Even though the negotiations are still pending, Terence Crawford and Sebastian Fundora have started their war off-court.

With the Canelo Alvarez fight still in the air for Crawford, the WBA and Interim WBO light middleweight champion decided to switch his attention to the WBO and WBC light middleweight champion, Fundora. The WBO, in late August, ordered a WBO title fight between Crawford and Fundora. Both sides were given a 30-day period to negotiate the fight, with a purse bid looming if they fail to reach an agreement by the deadline.

The minimum bid for this fight was set at $200,000, with Crawford expected to receive a favorable share due to his “Super Champion” status. Since the two parties have yet to reach a deal, a few days ago, the WBO gave them a 10-day extension to reach a deal. If the parties fail to strike a deal, the bout will go to a purse bid, with the fight potentially happening by the end of the year. But before that could even happen, the duo found themselves in a heated argument online, exchanging words, as neither of them wanted to appear as backing out.

Terence Crawford Scores 10-Day Extension For High-Stakes Negotiations

JUST IN: Fury vs Usyk II: ‘You’re About To Feel The Wrath’ – Fury warns Usyk

Talksport editor Michael Benson took to X to reveal an excerpt of a conversation that Crawford had with YouTuber Bernie Tha Boxer regarding Sebastian Fundora. According to Bud, the much-awaited fight is still on the table for him. “That’s a fight on the table,” stated Crawford in a defensive tone. However, The Nebraska resident was aware of his struggle against Israil Madrimov and how lackluster he looked in that fight but warned the 6’6 boxer to not take that fight as a reference.

Crawford had a challenging outing against the former champion from Uzbekistan and it might have been his toughest fight in recent years. According to CompuBox stats, Madrimov’s defense was so solid that Bud threw 158 more punches than his opponent, but only connected with 11 more. And on the other hand, Madrimov threw 10 more power punches than Crawford.

After that, Terence Crawford brought up the rumored sparring session between Fundora and Madrimov to make a shocking claim. “If Fundora’s licking his chops over my performance vs Israil Madrimov, then I should be licking my chops because Madrimov knocked Fundora out in sparring. That’s what I heard,” stated Crawford. Despite the claim from Bud, there exists no confirmed report of the knockout.

So naturally, the Towering Inferno refused to take the disrespect lying down as he quickly shot back with a cryptic message on his Instagram story, sparking the feud even more.

The California resident took to his Instagram Story and replied with a few lines from Ed Sheeran’s Song, ‘Tenerife Sea’. Fundora noted, “We are surrounded by all of these lies And people that talk too much,” insinuating that the claims made by Crawford are “lies” and that Bud is now talking too much.

If the matchup between the two happens, it will be quite exciting to watch Bud Standing figure out an opponent of Fundora’s size and stature. Standing at 6’6 feet, he has an unreal reach and is a natural junior middleweight. It gives him a big power and size advantage over other opponents in the same division.

On the other hand, with a lean physique and normal height, while spending most of his career at 147lbs, it might prove too much for Crawford to figure out. So, fighting against Sebastian Fundora might be tricky for the 37-year-old. There is also the chance that once he takes the Fundora fight, he may have to kiss the Canelo fight goodbye for a while.

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BOXING

Fury vs Usyk II: ‘You’re About To Feel The Wrath’ – Fury warns Usyk

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Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury warned Oleksandr Usyk that he made a mistake by not knocking him out, stating that he would become a three-time heavyweight champion. 

Usyk defeated Fury to become the first Undisputed Heavyweight Champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. He dominated the first part of the fight while also finishing strongly at the back end. Fury’s best parts were in the middle rounds when he pushed Usyk on the back foot.

The turning point in the fight came in the ninth round. Usyk landed a big left hand, followed by numerous combinations which buckled Fury. The Gypsy King was bouncing off the ropes as Usyk had him backed up in the corner. Just when the Ukrainian was going to go for the knockout, the referee imposed a standing eight count.

Tyson Fury issues chilling X-rated threat to Oleksandr Usyk as he looks for revenge in December rematch | The Sun

READ: [WATCH] ‘I’ll Get It Like Wilder 2’ – Fury Says He Will KO Usyk

It was very controversial since it prevented Usyk from finishing the fight. There was also an argument that Fury had not walked forward quickly enough, following the count, with suggestions that the fight should have been stopped. In his post-fight comments, Fury refused to accept defeat, stating that Usyk had been given the decision due to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The Gypsy King also called Usyk an amateur boxer after having rewatched the fight, doubling down on his belief that he had won. Fury’s brother, Shane Fury, later admitted that Usyk had won the fight. Fury’s behavior has shown that he is struggling to accept the defeat.

He was thrown out of a nightclub in Morecambe, in his hometown, after appearing drunk. While he would later post a video showing himself back in the gym, there is doubt whether Fury can mentally overcome this. But his following comments show that he is ready to give it his all, as he had eyes on avenging the loss.

“You had your shot but couldn’t finish the job! Mistake. Now you’re about to feel the wrath of a menace. Gypsy King 2024 is coming for you. December 21 is mine. Me against the world. incoming 3x heavyweight champ,” Fury said

Nevertheless, Usyk does not appear fazed. During the build-up for the first fight, the Ukrainian showed that he would not let Fury get in his head. Fury had repeatedly called him a blown-up middleweight and a rabbit. The Gypsy King even went as far as to state that he would retire from the sport if he came up short. Usyk warned Fury that he would not leave him alone, which later showed in the fight.

He pressed the action from the off, pushing the Gypsy King on the back foot, targeting the head and midsection. Fury could not keep up with the pace. While it is true that Fury slowed down, a large proportion of that was due to the pressure Usyk was exerting.

The Gypsy king will have to change his tactics, something which he did against Deontay Wilder in the second fight. Fury boxed on the front foot and eventually got the American out before the distance. But in doing so, Fury will leave himself open as Usyk is known for being an expert counterpuncher. That has left the fight in a very intriguing place.

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WATCH: Terence Crawford Explains Why He Rejected $200 million Fight Deal With McGregor

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Terence Crawford Conor McGregor

Terence Crawford Explains Rejecting Huge 2-Fight Deal With McGregor

Terence Crawford isn’t desperate. He’s earned enough in his boxing career to say no to some offers, and that’s what he did when he was offered a wild two-fight deal with Conor McGregor.

Crawford discussed his conversation with McGregor during a video with YouTuber Bernie the Boxer.

JUST IN: Davis V Roach: Gervonta Davis Confirms December Fight and where it will take Place

 

The offer would have had Crawford meet McGregor for one fight in the boxing ring and another in the UFC’s Octagon.

“They offered me the fight, and me and Conor got on the phone,” Crawford said. “I just told him, ‘I’m not getting in no f*****g Octagon with you so you can be kicking me and elbowing me and s***.’ He was just laughing and was like, ‘Man, I respect that. But we’d make a s*** ton of money.’ Sometimes it ain’t about the money. I can make money, but you ain’t about to be kicking me, dude.”

According to McGregor, the deal would be for $200 million, $100 million per fight. If done in association with the launch of Dana White’s new boxing deal, it’s easy to see how those numbers are valid estimations.

That’s especially the case if Turki Alalshikh of Riyadh Season gets involved to help facilitate the dream fight. Crawford has a minor wrestling background, and McGregor has never been a fighter who looks to take opponents down. However, as Crawford mentioned, he must be prepared for kicks, elbows, knees, and shoulder thrusts in the Octagon. Likewise, Bud would have a massive advantage in the boxing ring.

Despite the enormous advantages of each man’s primary sport, there is no question there would be huge interest. This talk of a dream fight doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as both combat sports icons appear to be in a holding pattern.

Crawford wants to fight Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, but the latter doesn’t seem too keen on the idea. Crawford could take fights against the likes of Sebastian Fundora or Jaron “Boots” Ennis, but having just turned 37 at the end of September, the boxing legend is being very selective about his opponents.

As is the case with Canelo, it may take an excessive amount of money for both men to agree to fight. McGregor has two fights remaining on his contract with the UFC. He has expressed an interest in pursuing crossover fights like his one with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.

McGregor has also discussed having a bare-knuckle boxing match in BKFC, where he is part-owner. After pulling out of his June fight date against Michael Chandler and with the latter signing to fight Charles Oliveira in November, McGregor is in limbo.

Even if Crawford had agreed to the proposal, the two fights would have needed the UFC sign-off to take place. If McGregor ever returns and is able to fight out his UFC contract, he’ll almost certainly explore his options in other areas of combat sports. It doesn’t appear he’ll be doing it against Crawford for now.

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Davis V Roach: Gervonta Davis Confirms December Fight and where it will take Place

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Gervonta Davis Lamont Roach

Gervonta Davis today dropped a rather large hint that his next fight, already confirmed to be against Lamont Roach, will take place in Houston, TX, with December the month in which it will take place.

“DECEMBER, Houston,” the short but revealing post said.

It had been reported that December 21, the night of the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury rematch in Saudi Arabia, was under consideration as the specific date. Further reports have speculated that December 14 is when the event will occur.

Look what Tank will do" - Superstar Gervonta Davis returning to face Lamont Roach sparks mixed reactions

READ: WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), was last seen inside a boxing ring against Frank Martin in June, applying the knockout in round eight inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), would likely step up from his usual junior lightweight surrounds, where he currently holds the WBA title, to challenge for Davis’ lightweight belt from the same organization.

Roach would start as a huge underdog but has won six in a row since he was outpointed by Jamel Herring in a bid for the WBO title at 130lbs.

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BOXING

WATCH: Bob Arum Has Bad News For Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua Bob Arum

Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) is “over,” according to Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who did not hesitate one bit when he said those words.

Times have not been the best for the former world heavyweight champion. He recently showcased a rather disappointing performance against Daniel Dubois(22-2, 21 KOs) at the Wembley Stadium in London. After witnessing his devastating loss, Arum did not mince words while sharing his thoughts about Joshua’s future.

The fight saw Joshua getting floored four times by Dubois. He was then knocked out in the fifth round, allowing Dubois to keep his IBF Heavyweight title. The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) later handed Joshua a 28-day suspension. While the suspension is a standard medical procedure following a knockout loss, which forces the fighter to take a much needed break.

JUST IN: Terence Crawford vs Sebastian Fundora delayed

Arum, however, felt that the break was unnecessary. “No, you don’t have an off night getting the sh*t kicked out of you that way. I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars. And I think it’s over for him as well as over for Wilder,” he said while talking to FightHub. With Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) coming in after two consecutive losses against both Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs), Arum even feels that it would be a good idea for the duo to face each other.

AJ’s promoter and Matchroom boss, Eddie Hearn, has a different plan in mind for his fighter. Speaking to TalkSport, he mentioned that he will be setting up a rematch between AJ and Dubois. “We have a fight with Riyadh Season. One of our options is to fight Daniel Dubois again, and our contract is with them. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will deal with Frank and Daniel and make that fight happen. The terms will have to be agreed with them,” he said.

He further added that they had agreed to the terms and had an option for a rematch. Moreover, he stated that the rematch is a fight that Joshua is actually looking forward to. “Our meetings with His Excellency, he wants the rematch. AJ will always want the rematch. Daniel wants the rematch too. It’s the biggest fight for him, and they will fancy it,” he said.

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BOXING

Terence Crawford vs Sebastian Fundora delayed

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Sebastian Fundora Terence Crawford

There has been a lot of speculation in regards to what happens next with Terence Crawford.

Canelo Alvarez refused to rule ‘Bud’ Crawford out for his next opponent.

In the meantime, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mandated Sebastian Fundora as the next opponent.

Terence Crawford Sebastian Fundora

READ: WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

Terence Crawford is the reigning WBO Interim Jr. Middleweight Champion.

Fundora, on the other hand, is the WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion.

The fight was to terminate the interim status and determine who would emerge as the king of the middleweight scene.

But now it seems that the wait will go on a little while longer.

The WBO have shared a press release today that explains what is going on.

On August 28, the WBO ordered the fight and gave both sides 30 days to strike a deal.

It’s notoriously difficult at times to get boxers to negotiate what the split will be on the revenue for each fighter.

That date would have run out on September 28.

However, according to the communications from the WBO, an email communication by Attorney Mr. Harrison Whitman, on behalf of Terrence Crawford, requested a 10 day extension of the negotiation period to continue discussion on the matter.

On the same day, Fundora’s promoter Mr. Sampson Lewkowicz agreed to the extension.

Therefore, there is now an additional 10 days for the two sides to come to an agreement.

The release is signed by the chairman of the WBO, Luis Batista Salas.

So it seems that both fighters need a little more time to work out the details for the fight.

With the 10 day extension now in place, the date for the fight will likely be available in just over a week’s time.

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BOXING

Jake Paul criticises Mike Tyson request

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Jake Paul Mike Tyson Netflix

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson is shaping up to be quite the spectacle for Netflix.

The bout, due to take place on 15 November, is already getting a lot of interest and is sure to be a hit for the streaming platform.

Despite Tyson’s increasing age, he’s still a box office attraction.

Mike Tyson explains why he's taking Jake Paul 'extremely seriously' | DAZN News US

JUST IN: WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

Coupled with the following that Paul has, it’s going to be an event for sure.

The contest is set to be a money spinner for both men as they step in the ring and compete.

Questions are being asked around whether Tyson will be able to keep up with his much younger opponent.

With Jake Paul being 27, he has a 31 year advantage on his 58-year-old opponent.

Because of that, one of the requests from Mike Tyson’s team is that the rounds are 2 minutes instead of the more traditional 3 minutes.

That would seem to suit Tyson as it means he’ll be exerting energy over a shorter period of time.

But Jake Paul has had his say on the matter as he starts building promotional momentum leading up to the fight.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Paul criticises this request from Mike Tyson and says it’s going to make no difference to the eventual outcome.

“It’s interesting, I’m just, I’m just basing s*** off of facts. He’s like, “watch your shape, watch your shape”. I’m like, alright, but you watch it. It could be to his advantage. I think it’s also smart that he’s doing that. I’m fighting on all of his rules and what he wanted. He wanted it to be a pro fight. He wanted eight, two-minute rounds. So I’m giving him everything he wants. I’m going to his playground, and I’m going to beat his a**.”

From his comments, it’s quite clear that Jake Paul is confident in what he’s going to be able to do in the fight.

Of course, this matchup has not been without controversy.

Many commentators have criticised the clash due to the age difference between the competitors.

Towards the end of his professional career, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson was taking some heavy losses and getting stopped early.

Jake Paul is still an impressive puncher and could do some damage.

At least the shorter rounds will mean less punishment potentially meted out in what is a glorified exhibition match.

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BOXING

WBA officially confirmed Gervonta Davis next opponent and fight date

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Gervonta Tank Davis

In recent months it has emerged that Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis would be making a second appearance of the year during December but now the man in the opposing corner has been officially confirmed.

Davis was upgraded from WBA (Regular) lightweight champion to full world champion late last year and made a first defence of his 135lb crown when he halted Frank Martin with one of the knockouts of the year back in June.

Since then, ‘Tank’ has been linked with a plethora of names but unification bouts against either Shakur Stevenson (WBC champion) or Vasyl Lomachenko (IBF champion) have stood out as the most attractive – both to Davis and boxing fans around the globe.

Crawford, Usyk or Davis? Who are the best pound-for-pound boxers right now?

READ: Anthony Joshua suspended from boxing

Yet, Stevenson appears to be tied up in a showdown with mandatory challenger William Zepeda, whilst ‘Loma’ has flat out refused to face the Baltimore-based power-puncher due to a lack of ‘motivation’.

As a result, Davis has been left searching for a suitable opponent for his December date, which could see David Benavidez Jr. appear on the undercard, and recent rumours suggested that WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach would be the man to step up in weight and accept the challenge.

Today, the WBA have officially announced that they have granted Roach with special permission to move up to 135lbs and face Davis, outlining that he would have five days to decide whether to continue campaigning at super-featherweight or permanently move up to lightweight and keep his title – should he be successful against the self-proclaimed ‘face of boxing’.

“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has granted special permission to super featherweight world champion Lamont Roach Jr. to move up in class to face Gervonta Davis for the lightweight championship on December 14.

“NoXcuse Boxing Promotions sent the formal request on September 13, which was received by the committee to be considered and consulted with the team of Albert Batyrgaziev, who is the mandatory 130 lbs. challenger.

“After the respective analysis and based on the internal rules of the organization, it was decided to grant the request to Roach under certain conditions.

“If Roach beats Davis in the fight, he will be given five days to send his decision to the WBA on which of the two titles he will keep and defend. On the other hand, if he were to lose the bout, he will be required to fight the official 130-pound challenger within 120 days of the Davis fight.”

The card will take place on Amazon Prime Video PPV on December 14th, with whispers that David Benavidez’s now confirmed showdown with Jesse Hart will take place as the highlight of the undercard.

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“…I know what I saw live”: Oleksandr Usyk branded a ‘liar and cheat’ as Daniel Dubois’ trainer calls for heavyweight rematch

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Oleksandr Usyk Daniel Dubois

Usyk defeated Dubois in Poland last year – but the fight was shrouded in controversy

Daniel Dubois’ trainer Don Charles has branded Oleksandr Usyk as a ‘liar’ and a ‘cheat’ – and has dared the Ukrainian boxing star to face his man for a second time.

Dubois solidified his position as IBF world heavyweight champion by knocking out Anthony Joshua inside five rounds in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley last week, and may now push for a rematch to Usyk, who he lost to in August 2023. The fight was shrouded in controversy when in the fifth round, Usyk took a knee and complained that he had been hit with an illegal shot below the belt. The referee agreed and ruled that it was indeed a low blow, and Usyk was allowed a maximum of five minutes to compose himself before going onto win a landslide points decision.

VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk Knocks Out Daniel Dubois In Controversial Title Fight - Sports Illustrated MMA News, Analysis and More

JUST IN: [WATCH] ‘I’ll Get It Like Wilder 2’; Fury Says He Will KO Usyk

But in an explosive rant on talkSPORT, trainer Charles has tore into the former undisputed heavyweight champion and firmly believes he cheated to get the better of Dubois. “Mr Usyk is fake”, he stated. “Exceptional boxer, masterful boxer, a genius of what he’s done and what he can do. But he’s a fake and he’s a liar and a cheat.”

Asked to provide evidence for his outburst, Charles replied: “It’s well documented. He is a guy who says he’s a God fearing man, he’s always crossing himself. This is going out to Usyk – if you believe in the same God that I and the world population do, what we refer to as God, one of the ten commandments is you cannot cheat. That’s against one of the ten commandments.

“Make your mind up, do you worship God or not? Because if you do, the cheating and the acting he did when Daniel dropped him, he should win an Oscar for that acting.

“Disqualified? I don’t think disqualification was in his mind. The man was gone, he was gone. I know what I saw live. I didn’t need no replays, I know what I saw live.

“The man was able to act and cheat his way back. I’ve said in many, many, many interviews. No [it was not a low blow], hell no.”

The experienced trainer welcomes the prospect of a potential undisputed showdown in a rematch with Usyk. “Yeah, if that presents itself”, he added. “Our focus is not on that. No, it’s not.

“Our focus is not on meeting Oleksandr Usyk. But should that materialise, I dare him, Usyk, to get in the ring with Daniel Dubois.”

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