Daniel Dubois was knocked out in the ninth round by Oleksandr Usyk, but there was controversy in the fifth round after the referee ruled a low blow when the WBA, IBF and WBO champion was floored by the British challenger in Poland
Monday 28 August 2023 19:55, UK
Oleksandr Usyk's team believe Daniel Dubois has a 'zero per cent' chance of successfully appealing against the result of his knockout loss at the weekend.
There was controversy in the fifth round of the world heavyweight title fight when Usyk was floored by a punch from Dubois near the belt line, but the referee ruled it as a low blow, and the Ukrainian was given time to recover.
Usyk went on to drop Dubois twice in the ninth-round knockout victory in Poland, but promoter Frank Warren has suggested he will attempt to overturn the result to a 'no contest' or appeal for an immediate rematch.
Despite the hotly-debated incident, Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk is confident the original result will stand.
"Zero per cent or negative probability to be successful," Krassyuk told Sky Sports, when asked about the likelihood of a successful appeal.
Usyk, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, still hopes to secure a fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury after talks for the undisputed world title fight broke down earlier this year.
Fury instead opted to face Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion, in a non-title fight in Saudi Arabia on October 28.
If the Fury fight cannot be agreed, then Usyk must fulfil a IBF mandatory title fight against Filip Hrgovic.
The unbeaten Croatian stayed on course to challenge Usyk after stopping Australian Demsey McKean at The O2 in London earlier this month.
Hrgovic expects to be next in line to face Usyk and issued a challenge on social media.
He wrote: "Congratulations Usyk. See you soon!"
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr II is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday. Book it now.
