Dubois doesn't appear to be "Physically" hurt whenever I watch him get knocked down/take a knee, it seems to be far more of a confidence thing with him. His first reaction all the time is to look at his corner, which tells me not only does he have all his faculties and is not hurt, but that he's looking for confidence from his people. Both of his Usyk defeats were, if we're being honest, logical decisions by him to pull out. Obviously fights fans don't like that, they want blood and guts, but he basically realised both times "This guy is too skilled for me I can't win" and I would say he "Logically withdrew" rather than "Quit". He strikes me as being someone who fears that he can't win, rather than fears that he's going to lose/get hurt, a nuanced but important difference. It's a shame because I genuinely think if he didn't have such confidence issues then he would be a real real handful even for Usyk. At times it's like watching an unsure kid in the body of a 28 year old monster. Even tonight when he was confident and comfortably ahead, he looked like he "Didn't want to hurt" Wardley, he didn't have the spite to throw punches at a man who was clearly finished. When the reality was it probably would've been better for Wardley to have been knocked out and stopped a few rounds earlier.
100%. Someone has told him "take a knee whenever you are hurt" and he's stuck to it to a fault. The early fight nerves and knee taking are huge flaws that need to be sorted if DDD wants to stay at the top. If they are sorted then he will be a nightmare for anyone not called Usyk.
Dubios tried every dirty trick in the book to hurt him. From body slams, headbutts, elbows to trying to rub open his cuts twice along with throwing the kitchen sink at him. How exactly did Dubios not try and hurt him? Lol
People will hate this, but it’s better to quit if you know you can’t win for the longevity of your career. Wardley might not be the same after this
In the last few rounds Wardley was a sitting duck and Dubois very clearly avoiding throwing significant heavy shots and especially avoided combinations. I'm talking about when Wardley was clearly finished, not when the fight was still in the balance.
You're right. Dubois likely doesn't win tonight if he didn't do what he did against Joyce and Usyk....In fact, he problem doesn't even get the fight tonight. My issue isn't that he figured in those fights it was his best choice, my issue is that it looked like he was willing to do that again early tonight in a very very winnable fight before Don Charles slapped the **** out of him.
Taking a knee early in a fight if you are buzzed is actually a smart move because it’s the follow up shots when you are buzzed that take you out.
Never write off a man with a heavy punch and exceptional power, Dubois, when he is stable in his mind during a fight, can crush anyone.
