Dubois aiming to do a ‘real demolition job’ on Usyk

“Don’t push the horses,” was Oleksandr Usyk’s cryptic warning to Daniel Dubois’ team yesterday, whenever things got tetchy at the final press conference for their heavyweight rematch tomorrow.

- ALEX PATTLE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM

For what it’s worth, Usyk rarely seemed aggravated by Dubois himself, and even expressed his respect for the Briton at Wembley Stadium, where they will duel this weekend. “I respect this guy, this young guy,” said the Ukrainian in one of their final verbal exchanges on stage, before their pugilistic exchange tomorrow. “He’s motivated, but I am, too. I’m not an old guy; 38 is not old.”

The issue for Dubois’ coach, Don Charles, was that he did not feel this respect was necessarily mutual. Addressing an apparent idea from Usyk’s manager, that Dubois is the same fighter who Usyk stopped in 2023, Charles said of Egis Klimas: “We know what we’ve been witnessing [since then], he must’ve been sleeping for the last three fights. He must’ve been fast asleep. Can somebody wake him up?”

Charles was referencing Dubois’ stoppages of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and most recently Anthony Joshua (at Wembley, no less), but Klimas had a counter so quick that Usyk would be proud of it: “While I was sleeping, Oleksandr beat Tyson Fury two times.”

Dubois, meanwhile, spoke in mission statements, as he has so often over the last year. “I’ve got to write my own script now,” said the IBF champion, 27. “They’ve got a script, I’ve got to write my own.