Oleksandr Usyk’s second dance with Daniel Dubois will unfold beneath the Wembley arch on 19 July, yet the pre-fight buzz in the United States is less about left hooks than price tags. DAZN has announced the heavyweight rematch will cost American viewers $59.99, while UK fans will pay £24.99. British supporters, accustomed to thirty-pound fight nights, have shrugged; across the Atlantic the reaction is closer to a wince.
Neither Usyk nor Dubois owns mainstream cachet in the U.S., and critics argue that charging Canelo-level money for two foreign big men invites digital piracy more than pay-per-view clicks.
DAZN counters that the main event sells itself: Usyk, holder of three heavyweight belts and fresh off his dramatic up-and-down victory over Tyson Fury, puts his status on the line against a Dubois who insists the ninth-round body shot he landed in their first meeting proves the Ukrainian can be hurt. Yet even supporters concede the rest of the bill needs meat on the bone. At present the only confirmed undercard slot features British prodigy Moses Itauma versus a to-be-named opponent - rumours range from veteran spoiler Otto Wallin to Jermaine Franklin. Joseph Parker’s flirtation with a Derek Chisora warm-up has gone quiet, leaving the Wembley promotion looking top-heavy and late on details.
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That sparseness fuels calls for a U.S. price cut. Skeptics say a $10–$15 tag could pull casual eyeballs; anything higher risks echoing the poor returns of Anthony Joshua’s London cards stateside. Matchroom and DAZN, however, appear set on recouping site-fee expenditures, betting the intrigue of Usyk’s quest for undisputed status will outweigh the sticker shock.
Marketing aside, the matchup still carries real jeopardy. Dubois, 27, believes a more composed game plan and a shorter route to Usyk’s rib cage can flip 2023’s script. Usyk, now 38 yet seemingly ageless, says Wembley offers the perfect stage to prove Fury’s knockdown was a blip, not a blueprint. If the Ukrainian maestro wins clean, talk will pivot to a full unification with either Zhilei Zhang or the winner of Wardley-Huni; if Dubois detonates the upset, the heavyweight chessboard resets overnight.
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Image Credit: Queensberry Promotions