Daniel DuBois Promoter Frank Warren | Boxing news
Oleksandr Usyk won’t be leaving the heavyweight division to win more prizes at cruiserweight, says Frank Warren.
Usyk, the previously undisputed cruiserweight champion, was unbeaten at heavyweight when he beat Tyson Fury last May and remains undefeated after winning his rematch with Fury last month.
The Ukrainian has previously hinted that he could move down to cruiserweight next.
But Frank Warren, who is promoting Daniel Dubois as the new IBF heavyweight belt holder, was unconvinced.
“No. Look at his size, it’s impossible,” Warren said Sky Sports.
Usyk hasn’t boxed at cruiserweight since 2018 and is now well positioned at heavyweight. He has always weighed over 220lbs for his five most recent fights.
“You just have to look at his size, that’s not going to happen,” said Warren, who expects to box Dubois’ Feb. 22 IBF winner against Joseph Parker.
Warren pointed out that the most profitable war is “for him (the winner of this)”. Big fight, big fight.
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Watch the best moments from Oleksandr Usyk’s press conference as he discusses facing Daniel Dubois and his victory over Tyson Fury as he needed a break from boxing.
Warren is backing Britain’s Dubois to beat his next challenger in New Zealand’s Parker.
“I’ll be sure after the fight. I believe in him, that’s why we did the fight, but with these big guys, anything can happen. They’re big lumps. They drop bombs, they’re a couple,” the promoter said.
“He’s not a rookie like Parker. He’s been there, he’s done it, he’s a world champion. He’s on a roll right now. You can see he has a fighter’s heart in the fight with Zhili Zhang. He’s been on the floor twice. He still got through that fight with his teeth gritted.
Dubois boxed Usyk in 2023 when he was stopped in 9 rounds. Usyk visited the canvas in that fight, but due to a low kick. He took his allotted time to recover and stood up and then stopped the Britannia.
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Oleksandr Usyk used his impressive boxing skills to defeat Tyson Fury on a scorecard to retain his world heavyweight title.
However, that convinced Warren that DuBois had defeated the unified champion.
“Honestly, I still believe that if it wasn’t for what was going on with the referee at the time, he would have beaten Usyk,” the professor said. “That whole four-minute break jumped out at him.
“Was it a low blow? I don’t think it was a low blow, some people think it is. But the bottom line is that he (Usic) wants to fight himself and the referee says it’s four minutes.”
But now, after knocking out Anthony Joshua in just five rounds in September, Dubois has become a master of dangerous world titles.
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Daniel Dubois asked for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk following his win over Ukrainian Tyson Fury.
“It’s 90 percent mental,” Warren said. “It’s taken time. He’s had a couple of bumps in the road but you look at the fights he’s had and what he’s done – he’s learned.
“He’s a very young guy. He’s mentally mature, which is really important. He’s got the skills. He (coach) Don Charles has done a great job with him and this is his time.”
Warren believes that at the end of this year, it will be DuBois, not Usyk, who will be the heavyweight champion of the world.
“If he comes this way and fights Usyk…” Warren said, “…I think (he will).”
