When Daniel Dubois enters the ring against IBF, WBA, WBO, and Ring heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at the Wroclaw Stadium in Poland on August 26, not much — at least, according to oddsmakers and the vast majority of fans and experts — is expected of him.
While Dubois is naturally bigger than the former cruiserweight king from Ukraine, he is a prohibitive underdog in this 12-round bout, with SkyBet listing him as a +600 in a two-horse race.
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The landscape in boxing changes frequently and it wasn't that long ago that Dubois was regarded as the heir apparent to the heavyweight division. By the winter of 2020, the colossal Londoner had compiled a record of 15-0 (14 KOs) and emerged as the British and Commonwealth champion. In three and a half years, only three opponents managed to get past the third round against him.
And then it all went wrong.
The Sporting News now takes a look at Dubois' lone professional setback.
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Who beat Daniel Dubois as a professional?
On November 28, 2020, with Covid lockdown restrictions still in place, Dubois was matched against Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce at Church House in London. On the line would be Dubois' British and Commonwealth crowns, as well as the vacant European championship.
The 23-year-old Dubois was a prohibitive -400 favourite by fight time and many felt victory was assured over an opponent 12 years his senior. However, with age comes experience and that attribute proved decisive in a bout that sent shockwaves through British boxing.
From the beginning, Dubois struggled with Joyce's educated left jab, which found its mark with alarming regularity. The younger man was able to score with his vaunted power shots, but Joyce's strength and durability were superior to that of any opponent Dubois had faced before.
The bout was relatively close entering Round 10, though Joyce was on the ascendency and Dubois' left eye was almost closed. During this session, the pair exchanged jabs and Dubois immediately backed off in distress before taking a knee. He stayed in that position until referee Ian John-Lewis completed the 10-count. The official time was 0:36.
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What injury did Daniel Dubois sustain in Joe Joyce bout?
In the aftermath, it was revealed that Dubois suffered an orbital fracture and there were fears that his boxing career could have been over.
Promoter Frank Warren was advised by the fighter's consultant, Miss Vickie Lee, an ophthalmic surgeon, that "it was fortunate the fight was stopped when he sustained a fracture, otherwise there was a risk of further trauma, and it could cause more orbital tissues and extraocular muscles that move the eyeball to be entrapped into fractured fragments and cause potentially career-ending double vision".
Dubois, who also suffered retinal bleeding, did not require surgery and was able to continue his career after a long period of rest.
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Has there been a rematch between Dubois and Joyce?
The pair have not crossed paths again, although a rematch could happen down the line. Both work with Queensberry Promotions and an all-British heavyweight clash always does good business.
Since the first encounter, Dubois has won four bouts by stoppage and picked up the lightly regarded WBA regular title. Joyce, meanwhile, lost his unbeaten record to Chinese goliath Zhilei Zhang (TKO 6) in April. Ironically enough, it was a severe eye injury that caused that bout to be stopped. The Zhang-Joyce rematch takes place on September 23.
