Suspicion of Usyk cheating in the four heavyweight title defense

In the fifth round of the upper stage at Wroclaw, Ba Lan on August 26, Dubois hit a heavy right hook, hitting the waist, causing Usyk to collapse to the floor. But referee Luis Pabon said this was a mistake when the British boxer hit below the waist (low blow). Therefore, Usyk was given a five-minute break to recover and then the match resumed.

Dubois coach Don Charles was wary of Usyk always pulling up his shorts and asked the referee to remind him at the meeting to read the rules in the dressing room 45 minutes before the game. "The referee asked us if we had any questions, and I said I wanted him to remind Usyk about the correct fit, not too high. And he said 'It's fine'," Charles told the British newspaper. Sunsport on August 28.

Charles said the Dubois side did return to this conversation, and was disappointed that the referee did not remind Usyk at his request before the game. "Before the bell rang, the referee had to remind the two fighters what was legal and illegal. He should have said it, but skipped this step in the process," added Dubois' coach.

After the match, Dubois asserted that his attack was valid and that the victory was robbed. Manager Frank Warren left the door open to appeal the referee's decision and will ask for a rematch. Charles supports this decision and wants to fight and seek justice for the 25-year-old boxer.

The validity of Dubois's attack is also controversial among experts. On TNT Sports, former Northern Ireland professional boxer Carl Frampton said that Usyk's pants were pulled up too high, and Dubois's move was legit. According to Frampton, the referee should have counted to 10 and then Dubois became the champion. Former super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall said that the referee's decision was controversial and would certainly be met with a backlash from Dubois.

In contrast, former WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards insists Dubois hits below the belt, and doesn't understand the heated controversy on social media. Liam Mark Smith, a former British boxer who held the WBO light-middleweight belt from 2015-2016, shares this view.

But coach Charles saw this as a turning point that made Dubois demoralized because of his lack of experience compared to the 36-year-old opponent, and was knocked out in the ninth round. This veteran coach wants to join the Dubois family to support the British boxer mentally in the near future. "Dubois is not well at the moment, and is distraught. His dream has been stolen," Charles said.