WBO interim champion Zhilei Zhang said that Daniel Dubois “basically quit” in his fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
The 25-year-old Briton admitted he lost momentum against the Ukrainian heavyweight champion after a low-blow call went against him in the fifth round.
The fight ended when Usyk used a right-hand jab to send Dubois to the canvas, and some observers have suggested it was another case of the fighter taking a count when others would have got back up.
When Dubois faced Joe Joyce, Joyce used his own jab to break the will of his younger rival, who took a knee when he could no longer take any punishment, and it was later revealed Dubois had suffered a fractured orbital bone.
Opinion was split in the boxing community over whether Dubois had taken the right decision in that fight.
Zhang would go on to defeat Joyce to take the WBO interim strap, making him a potential mandatory challenger to Usyk, but first he will have to get past a rematch on September 23.
Speaking to Chinese media, BoxingScene.com reported Zhang saying: “People say Joyce is so active and hits hard, but when it comes to sparring, I am working with Alonzo Neal, who throws more punches than Joyce, Dmytro Bezus who hits harder than Joyce, and Mariusz Wach, who at 300 pounds is bigger than Joyce.”
Discussing running it back against Joyce, he added: “I already created history on April 15th in London.
“I don’t mind doing it again on September 23rd.”
Asked about the fight with Usyk and Dubois, he gave his opinion: “I watched the fight and that punch was a little bit low. It landed below Usyk’s navel.
“After the fight resumed, Dubois did not use his physical advantages and Usyk was able to regain his rhythm. Dubois basically quit. I think Dubois needs to work on his heart.”