Daniel Dubois

Daniel Dubois, a towering 6-foot-3 British professional boxer born on 6 September 1997 held the WBA regular heavyweight title from 2022 to August 2023, showcasing his prowess at both the world and amateur levels with multiple heavyweight titles and a notable 95% knockout-to-win rate.

Daniel Dubois is one of eleven children born to Dave Dubois, whose success as a street trader in Camden Market, is known to have earned a million-dollar sum on a singular trip to New York during the 1980s. This financial triumph played a pivotal role in securing his future, eventually leading Dave to embrace the role of a devoted single parent by 1997. His journey to becoming a boxing champion is also influenced by his ancestors, who managed to rise from a history of slavery by winning the freedom in a bare-knuckle boxing match. His sister Caroline Dubois, also excels in boxing, achieving significant milestones, such as becoming the Youth Olympic champion in 2018.

Dubois made a notable debut in the US on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley in August 2021, triumphing over Joe Cusumano with a first-round technical knockout. Which pushed them to international superstar as well as a chance to fight for the WBA, the regular heavyweight title of the world.

Despite Dubois being lanky compared to many heavyweights, he doesn't sacrifice power and seldom gets entangled in exchanges. His agile footwork enables him to jab in and out with synchronized, explosive movements. Dubois excels at ensuring his punches connect with force, each thrown with the intent to unsettle his opponent. His combinations are not erratic; they aim to disrupt opponents and allow him to adjust his attacks while pivoting around them, keeping them guessing and constantly readjusting throughout the match.

What's fascinating about DuBois is his skill when moving off the back leg, utilizing backward jabs to counter opponents' power shots and create openings for a step-back counter. His right hand generates remarkable power through a technique involving a sequence of foot, leg, and arm movements, creating a surprising and devastating blow, almost as if time slows down, with his toes digging into the canvas to amplify the force behind his punch. Moreover, he can employ his right hand like a power jab, targeting both head and body, thus altering the rhythm of his powerful strikes. It can be seen often when Dubois throws a 1-3 or a 1-6.

Dubois also adeptly avoids keeping his head on the centerline; he moves it not just laterally but also vertically, forcing opponents to engage him from various angles and heights, a skill essential in the dynamic world of heavyweight boxing contests.

In the biggest fight of his life in August 2023 against Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight titles, controversy arose in the fifth round due to a punch from Dubois that was ruled a low blow by referee Luis Pabon, despite causing Usyk to drop to the canvas. There's such a controversial blow that many analysts around the world claimed Dubois should have been crowned the new heavyweight champion of the world for the knockdown.