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Well, I finally got around to rewatching Usyk vs Dubois II so that I could comb through it. Found some interesting stuff along the way. Let's take a look at a couple still photographs first. This one in particular was published in a Yahoo! Sports article. Note Usyk's defensive responsibility when attacking. It's quite literally a picture perfect example of what we should be seeing at heavyweight. He also has the outside angle on Dubois which is textbook foot positioning for a southpaw against an orthodox fighter.
Here's another exemplary photo I saw in a post-fight recap. It further illustrates how sound Usyk is technically.
It reminds me of the fine jab technique that Whitaker had. His chin was usually protected by his shoulder when shooting his jab which, fundamentally speaking, is ideal. Here is an exaggerated example of that.
Layered defense is another concept that's less common at heavyweight (past or present) than in the lighter divisions. The GIF below demonstrates one instance of it. Usyk's first line of defense here is obviously his glove. His second line of defense is to ride the shot just in case he can't catch it or it manages to break through his guard. Interestingly, he rolls not only his head but his entire upper body to take the steam off the shot. Remember this right hand in the fight?
^ It didn't land. Not that it would've even mattered if it had.
It's worth pointing out that there are some unmistakably Western (specifically American) elements present in Usyk's game. He had an American trainer for several years—former Kronk assistant coach under Manny Steward, James Ali Bashir. In the sequence below he briefly switches to the shell defense and looks to counter off of it after Dubois falls in to smother.
The last thing I'll highlight is Usyk's slick counterpunching that was on full display. He landed several sharp single shots against Dubois. Most counters, especially at heavyweight, tend to only be one shot at a time. Usyk is an exception. He'll occasionally counter with combos and at times will make use of both hands. You don't typically see this very often in the higher weight divisions. He had Dubois reaching for him the whole fight as he walked him into sneaky shots. The most spiteful, eye-catching counters though I didn't make GIFs of. Every highlight video of the fight already covers them.
Here's another exemplary photo I saw in a post-fight recap. It further illustrates how sound Usyk is technically.
It reminds me of the fine jab technique that Whitaker had. His chin was usually protected by his shoulder when shooting his jab which, fundamentally speaking, is ideal. Here is an exaggerated example of that.
Layered defense is another concept that's less common at heavyweight (past or present) than in the lighter divisions. The GIF below demonstrates one instance of it. Usyk's first line of defense here is obviously his glove. His second line of defense is to ride the shot just in case he can't catch it or it manages to break through his guard. Interestingly, he rolls not only his head but his entire upper body to take the steam off the shot. Remember this right hand in the fight?
^ It didn't land. Not that it would've even mattered if it had.
It's worth pointing out that there are some unmistakably Western (specifically American) elements present in Usyk's game. He had an American trainer for several years—former Kronk assistant coach under Manny Steward, James Ali Bashir. In the sequence below he briefly switches to the shell defense and looks to counter off of it after Dubois falls in to smother.
The last thing I'll highlight is Usyk's slick counterpunching that was on full display. He landed several sharp single shots against Dubois. Most counters, especially at heavyweight, tend to only be one shot at a time. Usyk is an exception. He'll occasionally counter with combos and at times will make use of both hands. You don't typically see this very often in the higher weight divisions. He had Dubois reaching for him the whole fight as he walked him into sneaky shots. The most spiteful, eye-catching counters though I didn't make GIFs of. Every highlight video of the fight already covers them.
