'Anything below the naval is classed as low in boxing!' - Says Tony Bellew About the Low-Blow Controversary of Usyk vs Dubois Clash
Tony Bellew didn't hold back when addressing the controversy surrounding the Usyk vs Dubois bout. While Usyk emerged victorious in the ninth round against Dubois, many felt the outcome could have been different had a specific incident been judged differently. The crux of the debate centers on Dubois' attempted body shot in the fifth round. There was a huge amount of controversy over whether Dubois’ attempted body shot in Usyk vs Dubois bout was low or not. After landing the punch, Usyk went down, but the referee ruled it a low blow. Consequently, Usyk was permitted over three minutes to recover and regain his footing in the match. However, Dubois and his camp were confident that the punch was above board. If acknowledged as such, the Usyk vs Dubois fight's conclusion could have swung in Dubois' favor. But Tony Bellew begs to differ. In a tweet, he shared an image illustrating the placement of Usyk’s belt, which sat below his belly button or the "naval." Bellew's accompanying message was clear:
“Anything below the naval is classed as low in boxing!” Bellew said. “That’s not my opinion that’s a FACT! That’s the rules! Your shorts shouldn’t cover your naval cos if they do the belt can be hit! This picture says a thousand words!”Bellew didn't stop there. He took it a step further by insinuating Dubois gave up during the match. This wasn't the first time such sentiments were directed at Dubois. In a 2020 face-off with Joe Joyce, Dubois was deemed to have "quit" in the tenth round, choosing to take a knee and not beat the count due to a severe orbital injury.
“Spew it once and you’ll spew it again is also another fact!”Bellew commented, referencing the earlier incident.
