Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will run it back for the undisputed heavyweight crown on Saturday, 19 July, after promoters confirmed Wembley Stadium as the venue for their rematch. The date was pushed back one week to avoid clashing with Ring Magazine’s New York super-card led by Shakur Stevenson-William Zepeda.
Usyk out-boxed and stopped Dubois in nine rounds in August 2023, then added Tyson Fury’s WBC belt in December to become the division’s first four-belt champion. Dubois rebuilt with thunderous wins over Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua and Jarrell Miller to claim and defend the vacant IBF strap, setting up the all-belt sequel.
Yet questions swirl over demand. Critics note that Usyk-Dubois I drew only 40,000 in Wroclaw and argue 90,000-seat Wembley could expose soft ticket sales; Wembley Arena’s 12,500 capacity might have been safer. Promoters counter that the storyline, a disputed belt-line knockdown, Dubois’ British resurgence, and Usyk’s march through UK heavyweights, will sell remaining seats.
Complicating matters are sanctioning-body obligations. The IBF has ordered Dubois to negotiate with Derek Chisora by 22 May, granting an exemption only if unification with Usyk is signed; the WBO is weighing Joseph Parker’s appeal to enforce his mandatory. Both bodies are expected to acquiesce once broadcast contracts are filed, but Parker-Chisora III looms as a consolation if anything unravels.
For Dubois, the stakes are binary: pull off the upset and cement a career resurrection, or risk erasing hard-won momentum and sliding back into Britain’s chasing pack. For Usyk, it’s a chance to complete his British trifecta: Joshua, Fury, Dubois, on home soil of his opponents and perhaps walk away as the only man to beat the top three UK heavies in their backyard. Whether Wembley fills or not, July 19 will decide if lightning can strike twice, or if Dubois’ second shot truly is his last.
Image Credit: Sky Sports