Oleksandr Usyk was victorious against Daniel Dubois but found himself at the centre of a controversy. The heavyweight clash took place in Wroclaw, Poland. Dubois, 25, was the challenger and a heavy betting underdog. However, ‘Dynamite,’ lives up to his nickname and is a knockout artist through and through. The British boxer has 19 victories under his belt and 18 of them come via stoppages. Intriguingly, both combatants faced Anthony Joshua inside the square circle. The heavyweight champion fought him twice and was victorious on both occasions via decision. On the other hand, it is rumoured in the boxing world that Dubois had sparred with ‘AJ,’ and knocked him down during the spar.
Although Uysk was declared the winner in the ninth round via a stoppage, the controversy arose in the fifth round. During that round, Dubois landed a clean shot that floored the champion and left the boxing world stunned. However, it was declared to be a ‘Low blow,’ and the knockdown was not counted.
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Moreover, in the day and age of social media, the fans scrutinized that specific sequence and felt that the shot was above the belt. Not to mention, even the challenger, post the bout, expressed that he did not consider it to be a low blow. This left the fans in a state of frenzy and ignited a debate.
Did Oleksandr Usyk touch the canvas due to a low blow?
Not only did Usyk touch the canvas but was also evidently hurt. This was a pivotal moment for the fight and especially for the challenger. Despite the referee declaring the shot to be a low blow, the fans speculate, debate and express their own opinion. One fan felt that the shot was low at first glance but after careful examination, it appears to be above the belt.
I initially thought it was low, but this angle looks like a clean shot to me. Dubois should be world champ right now.pic.twitter.com/qV3YCo4vWh
— WG (@NvictusManeo) August 26, 2023
While another fan had a sense of anger and felt it was unfair for Dubois to consider that shot a low blow.
That was a clean shot Usyk is a Ukraine PR machine so they robbed Dubois
— ‘,’ (@abzzinhoo) August 26, 2023
On similar lines, one fan declares it to be “clean” in his opinion.
Clean, he should’ve been counted out
— StretchMon3y (@Mon3yStretch) August 26, 2023
On the contrary, one fan does not think it is either but a hard one to call.
Very close. Looks low but usyks trunks were above the bellybutton. Such a hard call to make in real time.
— Tony Acosta (@TonyAcostaUS) August 27, 2023
Lastly, one fan advances his case for it being a low blow by observing the point of contact.
It’s low imo. His punch is on the up. You can see the initial contact creases the belt line from underneath. Seen it given as a low punch in many fights.
— paul (@paulp_123) August 27, 2023
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It is safe to say that majority of the fans do not consider it to be a low blow. While some fans find it hard to figure it out. Either way, Uysk is declared the winner and has an array of bouts lined up for him.
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Before we know what lies ahead, we want to your thoughts and opinions. Do you think it was a low blow? In addition, who would you like to see him face next? Share with us in the comments below.