Whether he was frustrated or simply uninterested remained unclear, but as he heard his team and that of Daniel Dubois exchange comments from the top table of Thursday’s press conference, Oleksandr Usyk made little attempt to hide that he had started looking towards the heavens.
The fighters will come face to face again at Friday’s weigh-in, for which the Ukrainian will almost certainly have anticipated a final attempt to unsettle him. The weigh-in will also ultimately represent the fifth time in five days that they have crossed paths.
Usyk, a deep-thinking, charismatic and independent individual, has rarely demonstrated any desire to promote one of his fight dates for the sake of promotion. He favours showing respect for his opponents until confronted with having to show that he cannot be intimidated; above all else, even by the standards of one of the world’s very finest fighters, he is remarkably comfortable in his own skin.
Dubois, similarly, shows minimal instinct to seek attention or to attempt to intimidate. He often makes little secret of his preference for silence, making it almost inevitable that on Thursday – approaching two years after their first fight and three months after the announcement of their rematch – it was instead the voices of those around them that were loud.
The IBF heavyweight champion, unquestionably, has improved considerably since their first contest. He has stopped, in successive fights, Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua – each of them career-best wins. He has risen to challenges and occasions that were widely considered beyond him; he has also grown both in reputation and in self-belief.
Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, had been asked by the host of the press conference about that improvement when Klimas appeared to answer honestly, and perhaps not inaccurately. “It’s the same guy,” he responded. “What can he change in a couple of years?
“You cannot train your mind, and that’s, I think, his weakness.
“Oleksandr is not those three fighters. He’s different from those three fighters. On Saturday night, here at Wembley Stadium, you will see.”
Frank Warren – even more experienced than Klimas – despite being prompted to, resisted rising to Klimas’ dismissal.
Dubois’ trainer Don Charles – both passionate and loyal, and largely responsible for Dubois’ belief that on Saturday he can succeed where he previously failed – having also been prompted, ultimately did.
“He must have been sleeping for the last three fights Daniel has had,” he said of Klimas. “Can somebody please wake him up?”
“While I was sleeping, Oleksandr beat, two times, Tyson Fury,” Klimas responded again.
Riz Khan – Dubois’ manager and perhaps not noticing Usyk and Klimas exchanging smiles – then said: “Team Usyk seem to be hanging on to a notion that Daniel’s not changed. I think they are rattled, solely because they’re using the same line, ‘Daniel’s not changed’.
“We built up a big team over the last 18 months. Daniel’s had three fights and been explosive in every single one. For the Team Usyk circus to continue to say, ‘Daniel’s not changed’ – we’ll see Saturday night’.
Usyk, finally – encouraged by the same host to participate when asked if Dubois unsettled him – may have been tempted to adopt the same smile or another look to the heavens. Instead, like a fighter who has been there before with Fury and others, he simply responded: “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not feel.”
Perhaps a response of that nature is inevitable for any individual who might believe that regardless of Dubois’ improvement, their rematch is only happening because of the false narrative that Dubois was previously wrongly penalised for a low blow when he threw a legal punch and damagingly. Perhaps it was the inevitable response of a both dedicated and all-conquering veteran – one who knows that unless successive fights with Fury have finally aged him, he is again on course to look the most complete fighter in the world regardless of his 38 years.
Dubois, 27 years old and both explosive and heavy handed, has consistently been credited with being the bigger man. When they went face to face again on Thursday – potentially largely because of successive fights with Fury and two others with Anthony Joshua – the size difference was minimal. The brain-versus-brawn narrative appeared shallower than it ever has.
Little over 48 hours before they fight again, either of their teams could have said what they wanted to in that moment. Usyk may have produced another knowing smile born of what he learned from Dubois in the nine rounds they shared in August 2023. If he didn’t, he could have been forgiven for looking up to the heavens again.
