Usyk’s Cutman Calls Dubois-Charles Split “Sad”

Cutman of three-time undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk, Russ Anber, explained why he is unhappy about the end of the partnership between former world champion Daniel Dubois and his trainer Don Charles. The Briton announced the split after losing to Usyk in their rematch.

“I can only judge as an outside observer, but I still can’t understand why Daniel Dubois parted ways with Don Charles.

Charles led Dubois to three of his best victories — over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and then Anthony Joshua — and did it in three consecutive fights. After those shared successes, it seems he’s blaming Charles for being the underdog and then losing to Oleksandr Usyk — and by essentially ending their partnership, he’s laying that defeat on Charles.

His win over Joshua was the most devastating ever recorded against Joshua. That victory may have been followed by a loss to Usyk, but Usyk is one of the greatest fighters of all time — and still, it is the fighter, not the trainer, who bears the responsibility for stepping into the ring and fighting.

Unless — and this is, of course, purely hypothetical — in preparation for the Usyk fight, Charles insisted on one plan, while Dubois preferred another, and they stuck with Charles’ plan, and Dubois believes it cost him the victory. If not, then the decision to split with Charles seems unfair and even sad.

Dubois first lost to Usyk in 2023, in his first fight with Charles. What they accomplished together after that earned him the IBF Heavyweight title and, ultimately, the rematch in July. After that first defeat he was thrown to the wolves — Miller was untested at the top level, but Hrgovic and Joshua were. It was expected he would lose to both Hrgovic and Joshua — his career was on the line — but instead of sinking, he swam.

Between the two Usyk fights, he became more aggressive and confident; only when aggression and confidence failed in the rematch with Usyk did his previous limitations again become apparent. He was also accused of quitting, but those accusations were raised as well when he lost to Joe Joyce in 2020 under Bowers.

If Tony Sims becomes his long-term trainer, I hope he will be given the authority the best trainers need to deliver results, and that he has clearly set the terms under which he is prepared to work. His experience demands it; I have seen far too often fighters change trainers and then regress because there was no control,” said Anber.

After three successful outings, Daniel Dubois lost to Oleksandr Usyk in July 2025. He and his trainer subsequently announced the end of their cooperation.

Photo: DAZN