'The hip line is the low blow point – the belly button has nothing to do with it' Says Jack Reiss In Response to Usyk Claims
Over the past weekend, the boxing community remains divided over a controversial call in the Daniel Dubois versus Oleksandr Usyk bout. Dubois delivered a punch that seemed to hit the lower region of Usyk's belt, causing him to drop to the floor. Referee Luis Pabon instantly deemed the punch unlawful, giving Usyk an extended recovery time of over three minutes. Jack Reiss, a respected referee known for officiating the first Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder title bout, shared his perspective on low blows during the DAZN Boxing Show. He explained that using the belly button as a reference for a low blow is problematic since it varies in position among individuals. The accurate indicator is the hip line. A punch is legal as long as most of the glove doesn't fall beneath this line.
“Everybody’s belly button is different, some are lower and some are higher. So you can’t use the belly button. The hip line is the low blow point – the belly button has nothing to do with it. A low blow is any time the majority of the gloves is below that hip line. On the hip line is legal, and it doesn’t become illegal until a majority of the glove starts to get below it. This is why we identify the hip line for everybody before a fight – this is the line, don’t hit below this.”Following the disputed punch, Usyk took charge of the match, gradually weakening Dubois and securing a win in the ninth round. Looking forward, Filip Hrgovic is positioned as the primary contender for Usyk's combined world titles. Hrgovic has firmly stated that he will not stand down to let a match between Usyk and Tyson Fury take place, although such a bout seems improbable at the moment.
