Frank Warren picks Usyk-Dubois winner

By Pete Carvill

Frank Warren picks Usyk-Dubois winner

Promoter Frank Warren has picked his charge Daniel Dubois to upset lineal heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk when the pair meet at Wembley Stadium later this month.

Warren, speaking on his promotion鈥檚 YouTube channel, said that he thought Dubois would win on 19 July, exclusively on DAZN PPV. The promoter also disparaged the idea that age was going to catch up with Usyk, 23-0 (14), on the night, saying that the Ukrainian fighter had little wear and tear on his body.

On fight night, Usyk will be aged 38, while Dubois will be 27. The pair first met two years ago in Wroclaw, Poland, where Usyk won by ninth-round stoppage. Questioned on whether the passage of time would affect the champion, Warren said it was a possibility, but seemed to dismiss the idea of it happening overnight.

He said: 鈥淭hings like that can happen. You know, there鈥檚 not a lot of miles on the clock with Usyk. Having said that, he knows that Daniel can win this fight. It鈥檚 not about his ability 鈥 [Daniel]鈥檚 got the ability. He鈥檚 got the power. He鈥檚 got the boxing ability. He鈥檚 got a fabulous jab. We know he can punch with both hands.鈥

Warren also said that he thought Dubois, 22-2 (21), had the power to hurt Usyk.

He said: 鈥淚f he catches him, he鈥檒l go. And if he doesn鈥檛, I think he can outbox him. But what can happen, I鈥檝e got no say in it. Nobody鈥檚 got any say in it. It stands to these two guys when that bells rings. The best will be the best.鈥

Looking across the rest of the heavyweight division, Warren said that a host of great fights would result from whatever the result will be.

He said: 鈥淛oe [Parker] is coming in for the fight. He鈥檚 the WBO mandatory. They want that fight to take place. Joe鈥檚 the interim champion, so the winner鈥檚 got to fight him. That, again, is a great fight. But you know what? On 19 July, we鈥檙e going to see history being made.鈥

The heavyweight division, said Warren, is going to experience a 鈥榣evelling out鈥 as the various mandatories and interim titles are set to be sorted out one after the other. He said that it remained to be seen who the mandatories were going to be, whether someone would vacate their titles in order to go for 鈥榖igger鈥 fights.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 going to happen in the meantime,鈥 he said, 鈥渋s that all these guys that we鈥檝e been promoting and jostling around, they鈥檙e either interim champions or mandatories. All of them are working with Queensberry. So we know that whatever happens, we鈥檙e going to get great fights.鈥

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