Russ Anber on the “Ivan” Punch: “It’s a shot I taught Usyk back in 2018”

Russ Anber, cutman to three‑time undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk, shared details about the punch the Ukrainian used to knock out Daniel Dubois.

“I regret not being at his post‑fight press conference. I soon learned Oleksandr was looking for me because he was asked about the knockout punch—the very same shot I taught him back in 2018 when we were in California preparing for Michael Hunter.

That punch—he called it ‘Ivan’—he used it against Anthony Joshua, and also to stop Tony Bellew. For a southpaw facing an orthodox fighter—or even vice versa—it’s a technical shot that lets you exploit the stance differences.

I would’ve loved to share that moment with him—I asked him about ‘Ivan’ before the fight; we were shouting it from the corner, and it was our little secret. But the most important thing is that the punch worked for him again,” Anber said.

On 19 July, Oleksandr Usyk (24‑0, 15 KOs) knocked out Daniel Dubois (22‑3, 21 KOs) in round five to become the undisputed heavyweight champion once more. Detailed statistics of the bout are available at the link.

Photo: Boxing Social