Daniel Dubois pushes Oleksandr Usyk in heated standoff at Wembley as security intervene
Dubois and Usyk nearly came to blows in their first face-off ahead of their rematch on 19 July
Security was forced to intervene after Daniel Dubois shoved Oleksandr Usyk during a face-off at Wembley Stadium ahead of this summer’s rematch.
It was announced on Sunday that IBF champion Dubois will try to avenge the August 2023 defeat he suffered to Usyk – the WBC, WBA and WBO titlist – on 19 July.
The pair were at Wembley on Monday morning and posing for photographs on the centre circle of the pitch when, during a face-off, Dubois abruptly pushed the Ukrainian in the chest.
Usyk, in a light blue tracksuit, and Dubois, wearing a suit, briefly squared off before several security guards ran in to stop the situation from escalating ahead of their undisputed showdown. Dubois then hurled insults at Usyk as the rivals walked away.
Dubois, 27, has won all three of his fights inside the distance since losing to Usyk, who beat the Briton via ninth-round knockout in Poland but only after rising from a contentious and debatable low blow.
Dubois and his camp long argued the punch which felled Usyk should have been ruled legal but the Londoner’s promoter Frank Warren lost an appeal to the WBA for the bout to be called a no-contest.
“This is the fight I wanted and demanded and now I get my chance for revenge against Oleksandr Usyk,” said Dubois on Sunday evening upon the return bout being confirmed.
“I should have won the first fight and was denied by the judgement of the referee, so I will make no mistake this time around in front of my people at the national stadium in my home city.
“I am a superior and more dangerous fighter now and Usyk will find this out for himself on 19 July.”
Usyk became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in the four-belt era when he outpointed Tyson Fury in May last year but vacated the IBF title before beating the Briton again in December.
Dubois was therefore upgraded to IBF champion and underlined his status with a savage knockout of Anthony Joshua last September but Usyk now wants to put his full collection together again.
“Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt – now I want it back,” the unbeaten 38-year-old said.