In boxing, when age collides with power, youth often has the edge, though not always. Some fighters have defied the odds. Take Jesse James Leija, who at 38 beat 21-year-old prospect Francisco Bojado in 2004, or Joe Calzaghe, who at 33 dominated 28-year-old Jeff Lacy in 2006. And now, as Daniel Dubois prepares for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, their almost 11-year age gap stands out. And Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, is offering a glimpse into what fans might expect when these two hard-hitting heavyweights meet on July 19th at Wembley Stadium for the second time.

In an interview with Sky Sports a few hours ago, Frank Warren gave his take on the upcoming rematch. Asked about the difference in Daniel Dubois this time around compared to their first meeting in 2023, the veteran promoter responded, “Well, I’m going to go with what Usyk’s manager said, Egis [Klimas] came out, he said, this time we’re not fighting Daniel the boy. We’re fighting Daniel the man. And I think that’s the difference.” When they first fought in August 2023, Daniel Dubois was just 25, facing the 36-year-old Ukrainian southpaw. That night, Oleksandr Usyk handed the Dynamite his second professional loss.

Frank Warren continued, “Since that Usyk fight, which he was an underdog going into, and he showed that his punch power hurt Usyk. Daniel had to grow up after that, and he did grow up. And he’s had three magnificent wins since, winning against each one of them in [Jarrell] Baby Miller as an underdog.”

“No matter how late it is, if he catches you, you go,” Warren said, pointing to Dubois’ terrifying knockout power. Reflecting on Dubois’ 2024 clash with Filip Hrgović in Riyadh, he noted, “[Daniel Dubois] went into a fight with the Boogeyman of the division, which nobody wanted to fight Hrgovic at all.” In that fight, Daniel Dubois secured a TKO victory in the eighth round, again becoming the only man to defeat his opponent. Warren then turned to another major win, saying, “And then obviously the big one at Wembley, two-time world champion, went in the lion’s den because everybody there was behind AJ. And done an absolute job on him from round one. I mean, he had him on the floor 4 or 5 times.” That, of course, was a reference to Dubois’ stunning fifth-round knockout win over Anthony Joshua.

In the end, when asked whether he sees Daniel Dubois knocking out Oleksandr Usyk or going the distance for a decision, Warren was direct: “If he [Daniel Dubois] catches him [Oleksandr Usyk] he’ll knock him out. He’s a massive puncher. You only got to look at what he’s done.” The 73-year-old Queensberry Promotions founder emphasized Dubois’ raw power and youth, adding, “He’s another one. He is a big puncher, and he’s young. He is only 27 years of age and he is a young 27 years of age.” And it seems Warren isn’t alone in believing that Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois has a strong chance of toppling the unified heavyweight champion in the rematch.

Barry McGuigan tips Daniel Dubois to stun Oleksandr Usyk in rematch

Daniel Dubois heads into his July 19th rematch with Oleksandr Usyk once again cast as the underdog, but neither he nor his promoter Frank Warren is losing sleep over it. Set to clash at Wembley Stadium in front of over 70,000 fans, the IBF heavyweight champion has a shot at history, becoming the first British fighter to unify all four major heavyweight belts. “The blue riband is the heavyweight division,” Warren told Queensberry. “The four belts are on the line, it’s the biggest one out there. No Brit has ever held the four belts.” According to Warren, Daniel Dubois’ mental transformation since suffering his second professional defeat could be what tips the scales. “He’s not been a favorite going into his last four fights… He’s in a good place of mind, believes in himself and his ability as we do,” Warren added.

Backing Dubois’ chances is former world champion Barry McGuigan, whose son Shane previously trained the British heavyweight. Though McGuigan leans toward Usyk’s superior experience and ring IQ, he warns against underestimating Dubois’ raw power. “Dubois can knock the house down, he hits so hard,” McGuigan told BBC Sport. “If Usyk gets hit clean by Dubois, the fight is over.” Still, McGuigan believes Usyk’s elusive style makes it unlikely he’ll be caught flush, predicting a wide points win for the Ukrainian. Yet, even he admits that if Dubois lands the right shot, it could go down as “the greatest victory in boxing.”

With the legacy of the heavyweight division at stake, the rematch promises high drama and historic implications. Daniel Dubois, still young and relentless, carries not just his own ambitions but the hopes of British boxing fans. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk stands at the cusp of cementing his place among the sport’s all-time greats. As fight night approaches, the question is: who do you think wins between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois?