Oleksandr Usyk is in the clear after the World Boxing Association ruled a punch by Daniel Dubois in their title fight was a low blow.
Usyk was accused of going down from a punch above the belt from the British heavyweight as he defended his WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC championships.
Dubois landed a debated punch, which Usyk took over four minutes to recover from. Promotor Frank Warren argued that the body shot was legal and that Usyk being down for that length of time was a knockout.
However, Usyk blew those claims out of the water by stating he would have stood up if referee Luis Pabon had begun any count that could have ended the contest.
Oleksandr Usyk appeal quashed by WBA
Warren’s appeal to the WBA was seen as a shot in the dark, so it proved. The WBA disagreed with the Hall of Famer that the fight should be ruled a no-contest or replayed.
On the whole, Usyk dominated Dubois before stopping the mandatory challenger. The Briton’s only outlet was body shots; his main one has now been considered low.
Addressing the situation, the WBA said: “The World Boxing Association announced the ruling of the bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
“Held last August 26, the result will stand after the WBA thoroughly studied the appeal made by Queensberry Promotions.
“The bout that took place in Wrocław, Poland, ended with victory for WBA heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. He also defended his WBO and IBF belts in that bout.
Dubois rematch denial
“On September 4, the company representing Dubois emailed the WBA. They indicated that Queensberry desired to have the outcome of the bout reversed. This is due to the referee’s action for a punch they considered low in the fifth round.
“Queensberry Promotions sent all the documents with their arguments to consider reversing the result. In addition, these were sent to Usyk’s representatives, the IBF, and the WBO.
“On September 12, Usyk’s team acknowledged receipt of the appeal. Their response addressed their arguments and various considerations about the fight.
“After studying all the documents, the conclusions of all the instances, and the internal rules of the WBA, it was determined that the appeal does not proceed. Therefore, the decision of the fight stands with the victory and defense of the champion Usyk.”
After both sides reached an unexpected agreement, the unified champion can now focus on facing WBC ruler Tyson Fury in late 2023 or early 2024.
Should Usyk become undisputed, Filip Hrgovic will follow before the WBC stipulation and WBO mandatory Zhilei Zhang.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer.
Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
