Daniel Dubois’ Trainer Explains Why He Feels Pressure Is Key To Beat Oleksandr Usyk

Daniel Dubois’ trainer Don Charles thinks his pupil has all the tools to stun and upset Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday.

Dubois is set to challenge for the WBO, IBO, WBA, IBF heavyweight titles on Saturday in Poland. It’s an intriguing matchup and one Usyk is a sizeable betting favorite in.

However, Charles believes if Dubois lands something big, he expects Usyk to go down.

“I’m going to be arrogant,” Charles said to The Daily Mail. “If Daniel Dubois is hitting him the way we envisage, Usyk will not survive it. Trust me on this, I’ve trained Anthony Joshua – it’s not publicly known. I worked with AJ before the Olympics and he hits hard. Joshua is a phenomenal puncher, but Dubois’ power is unmeasurable. [The game plan] is no secret. [Dubois] needs to jump on Usyk’s arse. If the Daniel Dubois that I’ve trained for the last 16 weeks in successful in the first five or six rounds, Usyk will not be in a good state because Dubois hits differently.”

According to Don Charles, he believes pressure is key for Daniel Dubois to have success and beat Oleksandr Usyk.

“Quite simply, you have to pressure Usyk – similarly to how Derek did,” Charles said. “You don’t box Usyk, you have to dog it out with him. Once you get into that zone, you have to commit. In football, when you get a skilful footballer, you don’t give him space. You chop him down. You mark him, you barge him, you foul him. Make him uncomfortable. Usyk is a skilful player. You can’t give him room to do his thing. Take him out of that zone and break him down.

“Joshua was very apprehensive. He had the chance and didn’t close the show. He didn’t want to gas and didn’t trust his defense. Daniel Dubois gets him in that position – he would be doomed. I’ve seen what he does. His knockout rate suggests that. When he smells blood, he goes in for it. We’ve got to track Usyk. Don’t let him escape,” Charles continued. “Make the ring smaller, don’t follow him around. If he goes one way, cut him off. Keep him in one half of the ring and trap him. Daniel has the energy to punch and punch and punch. I believe we’ve got the perfect game plan to halt this guy because the minute Daniel corners him, the fight is over.”

However, pressuring Usyk and having success is easier said than done, but Daniel Dubois and his camp are confident they can pull off the upset.

Do you think Daniel Dubois will beat Oleksandr Usyk?