August 26, 2023- Wroclaw Stadium, Poland. Standing in disbelief, dejection was written all over Daniel Dubois‘s face. Oleksandr Usyk, who had just secured a controversial win over him, stood in front and offered words that cut deeper than expected. “It’s not bad. It’s boxing. It’s not ballet; it’s not dancing. Daniel, you’re young. You can—you can dream,” Usyk told him. On that night, Dubois suffered the second defeat of his professional career. When Usyk knocked him out in the ninth round, fans expected Dubois to be out for a while. But just four months later, he returned with a vengeance. Battering Jarrell Miller over ten punishing rounds, he registered a statement win. Now, on July 19, the BBBofC 2024 ‘Fighter of the Year’ will face Usyk once again. But this time, it’s not just about redemption; it’s for the undisputed heavyweight title.

The rematch, scheduled at Wembley Stadium, is a battle for the crown in its entirety. But this isn’t the same Dubois that Usyk met back in 2023. Fresh off a string of commanding victories, including a fifth-round demolition of Anthony Joshua, also at Wembley, Dubois has transformed. In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Dubois declared, “I want it to be a war, so that’s my mindset.” And Usyk doesn’t seem surprised at all by how far his opponent has come since their last meeting.

While training at his camp in Spain, the Ukrainian champion, the first undisputed heavyweight king of the 21st century, spoke with ‘The Ring,’ boxing’s century-old publication. When journalist Louis Hart asked whether Dubois’ rise had shocked him, Usyk responded in his typical cryptic manner.

“I’m not surprised because, uh, this guy works, uh, when Anthony Joshua, Hrgovic, and Jarrell Miller. Yeah, it’s boxing. Uh, Daniel Daniel works; it’s great,” said the unified champion, delivering his praise in broken but honest English.

Though Usyk won their previous fight via a ninth-round stoppage, the bout remains clouded by controversy. In round five, Dubois landed a body shot that dropped Usyk, only for the referee to call it a low blow and allow Usyk five minutes to recover. Dubois and his team were furious, appealing the decision. But the WBA ultimately upheld it. Many believe Dubois was denied a legitimate win that night.

Daniel Dubois: Bounced back in emphatic fashion

Under such circumstances, it would be understandable for a fighter to lose motivation or fade into obscurity. But Dubois did the opposite. He roared back, dismantling Miller, then knocking out the dangerous Filip Hrgovic before delivering a career-defining win over Joshua.

And now, he’s eyeing the man who denied him two years ago. During the interview with Morgan, Dubois described the inner switch he feels coming into play: “I’m just ready to get all this stuff out of the way so I can get back to what I know I do best, but um, right now I’m just chill, ready for a fight though.”

And that’s what makes this rematch so compelling. Usyk is no longer just facing a younger, stronger Daniel Dubois. He’s facing a resurgent one. A man with a mission. A man with vengeance in his veins.

Still, it would be naive to believe Dubois will have it easy. Usyk, after all, went 24 grueling rounds with Tyson Fury and pushed one of the era’s most dominant heavyweights into retirement. At 38, with whispers of retirement growing louder, Usyk may well be eyeing a final glorious exit. Undisputed, unbeaten, and untouchable.

Do you think Daniel Dubois would finally avenge his controversial loss on July 19th?