Frank Warren appeals to WBA over Daniel Dubois defeat to Oleksandr Usyk following low blow controversy

Daniel Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren has officially lodged an appeal to the WBA over the Englishman's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last month which came after a controversial low blow decision.

The 26-year-old struck the Ukrainian unified IBF, WBO and WBA world champion with a fierce shot on the waistband of his shorts in the fifth round.

Usyk was left on all fours and looked to be in real trouble, with some observers waiting for a count from the referee Luis Pabon.

Instead Pabon indicated that he felt Dubois’ punch was illegally low, and gave Usyk several minutes to recover.

Dubois admitted after the fight that the decision had upset his momentum, and Usyk subsequently sent Dubois to the canvas twice, with a right-hander in the ninth bringing things to a close.

There is no mandatory rematch clause to be exercised, and in the immediate aftermath Dubois said he had been "robbed".

Queensberry Promotions chief Warren indicated he would appeal to have the result overturned, and a second fight secured.

The WBA acknowledged they had received the appeal in a statement they published on Wednesday, and said: "Any decision made regarding this situation will be made under WBA rules and communicated in a timely and appropriate manner."

In the aftermath of the fight, various fighters, industry figures and referees have had their say on their interpretation of the rules regarding low blows, with TNT Sports' Frank Bunce reckoning the referee could have done more at the start of the fight to explain the rules around low blows.

Assuming the appeal does not succeed, Usyk will likely now pursue an undisputed match-up with Tyson Fury, after the WBC champion’s bout with Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.

His next mandatory challenger is from the IBF, Filip Hrgovic, with Usyk's manager Egis Klimas saying that the Croatian "will be next" if the Fury fight does not go ahead.

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