Promoter Frank Warren has lost an appeal to the WBA for Daniel Dubois’ loss to Oleksandr Usyk to be ruled a no contest and that a rematch be ordered.
Briton Dubois, 26, floored heavyweight champion Usyk in the fifth round in Poland on 26 August, but the punch was declared a low blow by the referee.
Ukrainian Usyk, 36, then stopped Dubois in the ninth round to retain his unified heavyweight titles.
The WBA said there was not enough evidence to change the result.
The orgainsation added that it sent the case to the International Officials Committee, who found “no clear and conclusive evidence that the original decision made by Puerto Rican official Luis Pabon on Dubois’ punch to Usyk was wrong”.
The WBA reviewed documents submitted by Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, replays and rules before determining that the appeal would not proceed.
Two-weight world champion Usyk was given almost four minutes’ recovery time by Pabon as a replay on the three big screens inside Wroclaw’s open-air stadium appeared to show Dubois’ hook landing on Usyk’s beltline.
Dubois tired as Usyk dropped the challenger in the eighth and again in the ninth before Pabon halted the contest.
Immediately after the fight, Dubois – who was the WBA mandatory challenger – said he felt “cheated” out of victory.
The Londoner did not attend the post-fight news conference as Queensberry Promotions’ Warren and trainer Don Charles criticised the decision, before Usyk and his team insisted the low-blow ruling was the correct call.
The punch also split opinion in the boxing world. Former world champion Carl Frampton, speaking on TV commentary, said the punch was legal while several boxers, including Usyk’s former opponent Tony Bellew, felt it was a low blow.
Usyk has since agreed to a historic undisputed heavyweight fight against Tyson Fury, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which could take place as early as December
