Usyk versus Dubois: Frank Warren rejects WBA’s decision on low blow row, and plans to re-appeal

World heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, has rejected the World Boxing Association’s verdict that Daniel Dubois’ body shot directed at Oleksander Usyk’s belly during the duo’s recent bout was a low blow.

Formerly, the promoter’s company, Queensberry Promotions, announced they were going to appeal the decision to Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon during the match to declare Dubois’ punch a low blow instead of a legal body shot. The referee had proceeded to give Ukrainian Olexandr Usyk more than three minutes to recover from the punch.

Later, WBA posted on their X (formerly Twitter) handle that a ‘formal request’ was sent to them: ‘Daniel Dubois’ team sent a formal appeal for last August 26 fight, in which he lost by knockout in 9 rounds against Oleksandr Usyk in Wrocław, Poland. #WBABoxing,’ WBA wrote.

But the verdict returned to the company was against what many, including WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, argued for. Frank Warren has since reacted, announcing he was not going to accept that decision.

‘I’m disappointed that they’ve not even considered what our complaint was,’ Warren said. ‘What they’ve come back with doesn’t even address it.’

He went further to explain exactly what the company disliked about the statement submitted by the WBA.

A post on WBA’s website reads: ‘On September 4, the company representing Dubois emailed the WBA indicating that Queensberry desired to have the outcome of the bout reversed due to the referee’s action for a punch they considered low in the fifth round.

‘Queensberry Promotions sent all the documents with their arguments to consider a reversal of the result. These were sent to Usyk’s representatives, the IBF and the WBO. On September 12, Usyk’s team acknowledged receipt of the appeal and their response, in which they addressed their arguments and various considerations about the fight.

‘The supervisors of the fight were Carlos Ortiz (IBF), Ed Levine (IBO), Thomas Puetz (WBO) and Jesper Jensen (WBA). The supervisor of the pioneer body, Jensen, determined that referee Luis Pabón made the correct decision regarding the punch which he considered an accidental low blow.

‘With the supervisor’s opinion, the WBA decided to send the case to the International Officials Committee, who on September 11, issued their review and found that there was no clear and conclusive evidence that the original decision made by Pabon on Dubois’ punch to Usyk was wrong. They also concluded that no TV clip had evidence that the decision was incorrect. In addition, they asserted that “the original decision of the low blow must stand, as there is no indispensable evidence to prove otherwise.”

‘On the other hand, the WBA rules determine that the decision of a low blow  and whether a boxer who receives it can continue are strict competences of the referee and he is the only one authorized to make these decisions.

‘After studying all the documents, the conclusions of all the instances and the internal rules of the WBA, it was determined that the appeal does not proceed and the decision of the fight stands with the victory and defense of the champion Usyk.’

Frank Warren’s group is dissatisfied because of something the WBA failed to address.

According to him, ‘We complained about the referee not giving specific instructions to both boxers, and for what he did regarding the amount of time [to recover] he gave, which was nearly four minutes, for Usyk to rest even when he wanted to carry on himself after a blow that wasn’t even a low blow.’

Daniel Dubois’ world rating fell to 7th place following the WBA’s final decision. Dubois was so sad after the match that he left without talking, leaving his team to attend to the press.

Read full WBA statement here.

 

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