Daniel Dubois’ loss to Oleksandr Usyk last weekend has received widespread attention in the boxing world for several reasons and Teddy Atlas is the latest fight figure to jump on.
Usyk retained his world titles with a ninth-round stoppage, but it was a low blow in the fifth session that took the bulk of the post-fight response.
One matter yet to be discussed as much as the shot that put Usyk on the floor is the manner of Dubois’ surrender.
When down, Dubois appeared in a position to continue but his late rise during the count ensured the referee halted the bout. Atlas, one of boxing’s most opinionated voices, has hit out at Dubois for the way the fight ended.
“He quit. He submitted. He’s got a history of this,” said Atlas when speaking on The Fight podcast.
“He did the same thing in his only other loss against Joe Joyce. He was winning that fight. He’s got good skills, but he doesn’t have a strong resolve. He’s not mentally tough. It’s that old saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
“He hasn’t quite been able to do that. The pressure of Joyce broke him down where he gave in. It’s the reality. It happens sometimes.”