Daniel Dubois is vying for greatness as he steps up for the second time against Oleksandr Usyk on July 19th.
2025’s biggest night of boxing will be topped by two huge main events – Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring against Mario Barrios, and Daniel Dubois will fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight titles.
Dubois’ first encounter with Usyk came off the back of a shaky fight with Kevin Lerena, in which Lerena dropped Dubois three times. Since that fight, Dubois has stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and, most recently, Anthony Joshua.
Dubois’ trainer, Don Charles, has revealed ahead of the Usyk fight the lucky charm that came hours before Dubois destroyed Joshua.
Don Charles speaks on how horses won Daniel Dubois the AJ fight
In a promotional feature for DAZN, Don Charles spoke of their fight camp location, and commented on the significance of a pair of horses nearby.
Charles gestured to the horses and said, “I’ve got my friends here. They’re my lucky friends, they bring me luck. In fact, a day before the Anthony Joshua, I came here on the Saturday morning before I made my way to Wembley. […] There was no one here, it was desolate.”
He continued, “[The horses] are usually over there in the middle of the field. That very day, they must have sensed that I was down… the pressure of the event that’s going to happen that day. They felt it.”
Charles tells of how the horses came close to the fence, towards him, which was unusual for them.
“I stood there and I started speaking to the horses. I said, ‘Girls, I’ve got a very important day today. Wish me luck and I promise I’ll bring you carrots.’ […] It worked.”
Daniel Dubois vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 – The stats
| Daniel Dubois | Oleksandr Usyk | |
| Boxing Record | 22-2 | 23-0 |
| Height | 6’5″ | 6’3″ |
| Weight (for last fight) | 248.5lbs | 226lbs |
| Best win | Anthony Joshua | Tyson Fury |
| KO % (out of all wins) | 95.5% | 61% |