Promoter Frank Warren is confident the timing is right for Daniel Dubois to stun world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on August 26.
Queensbury Promotions boxer Dubois will fight for the WBA (super), IBF and WBO belts next weekend in Wroclaw.
Dubois, who will celebrate his 26th birthday in September, turned professional in 2017 and has produced a number of thrilling knock-outs from his 20 bouts.
Although a unification contest between Tyson Fury and Usyk could not be arranged, the Ukrainian will still step into the ring with a British heavyweight – and he has been sent a warning by Queensbury chief Warren.
See you 26 august in Poland 🇺🇦🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/LegmShyoAL
Advertisement— Alexander Usyk (@usykaa) July 6, 2023
Warren told the PA news agency: “It is a massive opportunity and it has not been given to Daniel. He’s had to fight for it and become mandatory by winning the WBA regular belt.
“Now he’s in there and he could have stepped aside if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to.
“He wants the fight and I believe sometimes in boxing the biggest and best punches are all about timing. I believe his timing will be right for this fight.”
While Warren did attempt to bring the world title fight to London, it will take place in Poland and Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) will find himself as public enemy number one.
A number of Ukraine natives have resided in Poland since Russia’s invasion of their country last year and support for Usyk (20-0, 13KOs) inside Tarczynski Arena, which can host up to 43,000 spectators for a boxing match, will be strong.
“He is going into the lion’s den and that is why the temperament will be spot on,” Warren pointed out at Bermondsey Boxing Club on Tuesday.
“We did try get it here. It went to purse bids in the end. We made an offer but they had 75 per cent of the purse bid as champion so that is why it is where it is at.”
Dubois is a huge outsider, with some bookmakers offering odds of 8/1 that he wins, but a strong camp in Spain has boosted the belief of the former England amateur.
He has also joined forces with Don Charles, who masterminded Derek Chisora’s rise from novice to a top-10 heavyweight, since his last dramatic fight in December.
A knee injury contributed towards Dubois going down three times in the opening round against South African southpaw Kevin Lerena, but a devastating upper-cut in round three secured the 19th win of his career.
“Yeah, what an ending to that one. I need to pull out something like that again,” Dubois told PA.
“For that fight, I didn’t get enough southpaw work, I was dropping my hands when I shouldn’t have been and not looking out for the right shot.
“But I feel like this time, I’ll be more aware of what is coming back at me.
“It is all about leading up to now. Those are the moments you need to call on to change history, change your life and here we are now.
“If I didn’t get through that, I wouldn’t be here, so it is all part of the journey.
“Camp has been very good. I went to Spain, was out in the mountains and I feel like I have come out a new man, lighter but stronger and ready to do the business.”
