At the Casino Miami in Florida, Daniel Dubois became the WBA heavyweight champion with a fourth round knockout of Trevor Bryan.
Bryan had halted former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne to win the belt in January last year, and defended in a split decision win over Jonathan Guidry a year later. Dubois had his professional progress checked in a knockout defeat to Joe Joyce at the back end of 2020, but had come back with two early wins to earn a shot at the belt.
Dubois (18-1, KO17) began off a snappy jab, and several big right hands found the mark in the opening minute of the contest. Bryan (22-1,KO15) was throwing little back, and a chopping right hand had him pinned in the corner in the final minute of the first frame. After a solid second round, a big right hand had Bryan in trouble in round three, as the champion stumbled to the ropes, and he was also hurt towards the end of the round. The end wasn’t long incoming, as Dubois landed with a monstrous left hook that robbed Bryan from his legs underneath him, and he was firmly unable to beat the referee’s count with the fight waved off.
Face down. Goodnight!
We've seen him do it time-and-time again…@DynamiteDubois adds another highlight reel KO to the list 💥#DuboisBryan pic.twitter.com/SrScKsZ1v7
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) June 11, 2022
Dubois will move a step closer to a meeting with the winner of the massive Joshua v Usyk rematch later this summer, after a superb win on away soil.
“I’ve worked so hard for this” said Dubois post-fight.
“I can make some massive fights for the future”.
“In my mind I was the favourite, and Trevor’s ‘0’ had to go tonight”.
“We’d like to go after someone in the UK like Dillian Whyte” said Dubois’ trainer Shane McGuigan.
“He’s had his last two fights in the USA, and now it’s time to bring things back to the UK. It’s all learning and progression, and we’ll go and find the big names”.
