Frank Warren is convinced that Daniel Dubois would become a leading candidate for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award (SPOTY) if he manages to defeat Oleksandr Usyk.
The highly anticipated rematch between the two heavyweights for the undisputed championship is set to take place on July 19, headlining a major event promoted by Warren at Wembley Stadium in London.
In their first encounter in 2023, the undisputed champion Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) ultimately secured a decisive victory with a ninth-round stoppage.
However, before Usyk clinched the win, Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) had knocked down his opponent with a body shot that the referee contentious ruled as low.
The 27-year-old Dubois continues to assert that the punch landed in the fifth round was entirely legal, suggesting that the circumstances surrounding the fight in Poland that night were significantly stacked against him.
This point of contention has fueled a tense build-up to the upcoming rematch, amplified by various accusations directed towards Usyk`s team.
Despite the ongoing back-and-forth exchanges, Frank Warren, the head of Queensberry Promotions, maintains strong confidence that his fighter, the current IBF world champion Daniel Dubois, will perform successfully on fight night.
Moreover, the veteran promoter firmly believes that `Dynamite` has the potential to join the esteemed list of British boxing icons like Joe Calzaghe, Lennox Lewis, Barry McGuigan, and Henry Cooper, all of whom previously received the prestigious SPOTY accolade.
While nominated, other prominent British boxers, including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, have narrowly missed out on winning the award in the past.
It seems clear that Dubois – should he achieve a victory of such immense magnitude against a fighter like Usyk – would undoubtedly be in a prime position to significantly enhance his list of accomplishments.
Warren stated that winning would make Dubois the first British heavyweight to hold all four major belts, thus cementing his place in history. He added that Dubois would be an absolute certainty (`shoo-in`) for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, noting, “No one has ever done what he’s doing – or what he’s attempting to do, I should say. No one in this country, at heavyweight.”
