Derek Chisora has claimed Daniel Dubois quit in his heavyweight title clash against Oleksandr Usyk — but insists he still wants to help Dubois carry the torch for British boxing.
Chisora, 41, was ringside at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night as Usyk stopped Dubois in the fifth round to become undisputed heavyweight champion. The veteran boxer, who lost a close decision to Usyk in 2020, didn’t mince words on Split Decision, SunSport’s YouTube show.
“For me, he quit,” Chisora said. “This is the biggest stage of your life — you get hit, you get back up, and you fight. That’s what we do.”
Dubois did get to his feet after a knockdown, but his corner threw in the towel. Chisora believes the 27-year-old should’ve gone out swinging.
“You go out on your shield. People paid money to see you fight. That’s why we’re hard on him — because he didn’t go out on his shield.”
Tyson Fury had sent Dubois a message of support after the fight, praising his efforts and inviting him to train in his Morecambe gym. But Chisora blasted the gesture, calling it “fing bulls”.
“I’ve had 49 fights. Have you ever seen me quit? Tyson isn’t a quitter. AJ isn’t a quitter. But Daniel didn’t want any more. And if they don’t fix that, it’ll happen again,” Chisora warned.
Despite the criticism, Chisora says he sees huge potential in Dubois — recalling being dominated in sparring sessions when Dubois was still an amateur.
“He whooped my a**e — more than once. If he trains differently, if he surrounds himself with killers, he’ll be unstoppable. He needs to be around other fighters, not just train alone,” Chisora added.
While tough in his words, Chisora says it comes from a place of belief and hope. “Fury, AJ, and I — we’re on the way out. Dubois was the one we hoped would carry the flag. He’s still that guy. He just has to want it bad enough.”
