Daniel Dubois’ Disengaged Ring Walk: Analyzing His Mental State Before The Oleksandr Usyk Fight

Former IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois is being criticized for his disengaged appearance as he entered the ring for his undisputed championship clash against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium. It’s believed that Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) was already mentally defeated even before the fight.

Usyk Fight Mental State

The spaced-out look on Dubois’ face suggested to some that he didn’t want to be there. Indeed, Daniel’s appearance indicated that if he had a magic button to transport him, he’d have pushed to take him far away from that ring to avoid confronting his destiny. Dubois looked all locked up internally, almost paralyzed with fright.

“There was a different energy. He looked. I don’t even know how to describe it. He almost looked disinterested in the walk-up to the ring,” said Duke McKenzie to talkSport Boxing about Daniel Dubois’ appearance during his ringwalk for his undisputed championship fight against Oleksandr Usyk last Saturday night. “He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.”

It was clear, looking at Dubois during the ringwalk, that he didn’t want to be there that night. He’d obviously been dealing with memories of his past loss against Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) and didn’t feel that he had the capabilities to win the fight. When you see a fighter in that condition, it indicates that they don’t feel up to the task.

The fight itself was a complete mismatch. Usyk dominated right out of the gates, jabbing, landing hard combinations, and dancing away from the slow, lumbering 243-lb Dubois. In the fifth, Usyk dropped Dubois twice with powerful shots.

Dubois Quit Red Flag Appearance

After the second knockdown, it looked like Dubois made the conscious decision not to continue and was counted out. What was impossible to miss was how fine Dubois looked as he walked back to his corner. There was no stagger or unsteady movement on his part. It was as if he was having a nice stroll in the park, and he had a casual look about him.

That was a red flag for some fans that he had quit. Hence, the massive backlash Dubois has received from fans afterward, with many believing he pulled another classic quit job.