Daniel Dubois’ Trainer Denies ‘party’ Disrupted Preparations Before Loss To Usyk

Daniel Dubois’ trainer Don Charles has played down reports that a statement astatine nan fighter’s location hours earlier his world heavyweight title bout pinch Oleksandr Usyk astatine Wembley connected Saturday nighttime disrupted nan boxer’s preparation.

Dubois was knocked retired successful nan 5th round by Usyk and Charles does not conflict that his complaint did not get until 8.20pm astatine nan arena, 90 minutes earlier his scheduled ringing locomotion time. Footage of what Charles describes arsenic much of a “cultural gathering” than a statement emerged connected Tuesday, but nan trainer insisted that Dubois and his entourage arrived wrong their allocated time, and had ample clip to acquisition each pre-fight preparations basal to look Usyk.

“It was much for illustration a gathering, a taste gathering,” said Charles. “I don’t deliberation it was public, successful truth it was nan aforesaid [sort of] gathering that was done backmost successful September past twelvemonth erstwhile Daniel was going to conflict Anthony Joshua connected nan conflict day. The aforesaid point occurred wherever a batch was made of nan ringing walk. He came successful [at Wembley] for illustration a gladiator, he was charged up.”

Charles besides brushed disconnected suggestions of a disagreement betwixt Dubois and his begetter Stanley. “I wasn’t there, but [talk of a disagreement] is each hearsay. I tin guarantee you that wouldn’t person happened.”

Charles says nan pre-fight “ritual” organised by Dubois’ begetter helped him. “So telephone it a ritual, whatever, it worked and it helped Daniel to beryllium successful nan mode, conflict mode to beryllium destructive,” explained nan trainer. “So nan begetter replicated that again pinch nan position that it should put Daniel successful nan correct authorities of mind. So galore boxers, if you speak to each boxers crossed nan country, they’ll each show you they’ve each sewage their small things that they do connected conflict time to mentally beryllium capable to support them to spell and do what they do.

“So it didn’t activity this clip and that’s why there’s a batch of lies going connected alternatively of attraction connected nan existent fight, wherever nan conflict was fought, nan measurement it panned out. And there’s a batch of attraction connected this party, it was a gathering, a taste gathering.

“The only measurement [the presence time] would person an effect is if we didn’t do each nan preliminaries, nan manus wraps, nan stretches, nan normal procedure. We were capable to do everything pinch 10 minutes to spare for nan TV, besides for nan ringing walk,” he added.

Oleksandr Usyk punches Daniel Dubois during their undisputed heavyweight title bout astatine Wembley. Photograph: Daniel Hambury/EPA

Despite being nan underdog, immoderate pundits had backed nan British boxer to conclusion Usyk, pursuing his profession being revitalised nether nan helping of Charles. Dubois secured 3 consecutive KO victories complete Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua connected his measurement to winning nan IBF world heavyweight championship.

Usyk dominated Saturday’s fight, pinch each 3 judges having nan Ukrainian winning coming into nan 5th round, wherever Usyk closed nan show pinch a looping near manus that floored Dubois, to crown himself undisputed heavyweight world champion.

Charles has admitted location were things that they could person done better, but claimed it was excessively early to wholly digest nan fight, pinch nan full squad still “licking their wounds”.

“I’m successful regular interaction pinch [Daniel]. The young man’s doing well,” said Charles. “He’s healthy, he’s not harmed. He’s sustained a unspeakable knockout and is conscionable resting up. He’s going to spell connected vacation successful nan adjacent week aliases so. All we’ve done successful nan past 2 years since I’ve been moving pinch him is spell from campy to camp. Camp to campy is exhausting. I’m exhausted. Imagine really nan combatant feels.”

Charles praised chap heavyweight Tyson Fury for publically defending Dubois. Fury took to Instagram to implore group to extremity referring to Dubois arsenic a “coward”, insisting that “there are nary cowards successful boxing”, and that Dubois did his best.

“I’m gladsome personification for illustration that is capable to [support Dubois], a large fig for illustration him,” he said. “People perceive to what Tyson says. I’m gladsome for him and I applaud him for opinionated up for Daniel too. Because what disappoints is simply a batch of these group putting these antagonistic narratives out. A batch of them are retired boxers, immoderate of them are existent progressive boxers. And they excessively should cognize amended than to effort to put down a young combatant for illustration him. You’ve conscionable sewage to inquire what is their motive, what are they trying to achieve?”