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SPORTS Tuesday 24 sepTember 2024
Dubois changes perceptions and muscles onto the top table of

heavyweights. He wants Usyk next

By STEVE DOUGLAS beats Fury. That would put
AP Sports Writer all belts on the table for an-
Tyson Fury looked as other fight for the title of un-
stunned as everyone else disputed.
inside Wembley Stadium af- Usyk stopped Dubois in
ter witnessing Daniel Dubois the ninth round when they
dismantle Anthony Joshua fought in Poland in August
in the latest shake-up of last year, but only after
boxing’s heavyweight divi- controversially getting time
sion. to recover from what was
Except Fury had other adjudged a low blow by
things on his mind. Dubois in the fifth round.
“Listen, that’s cost me 150 It sent Usyk to the canvas,
million,” Fury, scratching his where he sat against the
head, shouted to a friend ropes. Replays showed the
at ringside on Saturday punch hitting around Usyk’s
night. belt and Dubois still main-
Maybe Fury vs. Joshua the tains he was robbed.
long-awaited heavyweight “I want to get my rematch,”
fight that boxing’s new Dubois said of Usyk, “and
overlords in Saudi Arabia put the wrong right.”
had reportedly been plan- There’s video of Usyk and
ning might never happen. Dubois talking in the ring
Instead, it’s Dubois, anoth- after their fight in Wroclaw,
er British fighter, who has with Usyk telling his beaten
muscled his way onto the Anthony Joshua, left, and Daniel Dubois, fight in the IBF World Heavyweight bout at Wembley challenger: “Daniel, you
Stadium, in London, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
sport’s top table. Associated Press young. You can. You can
Given his age, he could be dream.”
there to stay. among the heavyweights edly there was an agree- British promoter who repre- Still, Usyk said after the Du-
The 27-year-old Dubois who are preparing for a re- ment on a double-header sents both boxers said that bois-Joshua fight that he
might have the boxing match in Saudi in Decem- for the sum Fury was talking would put him in a “very, thought Joshua would win
world at his feet after a bru- ber and were seen joking about or to fight Usyk for a very awkward position.” on Saturday.
tal fifth-round knockout of around at ringside on Satur- third time, having already “It’s not something I would “For me, it’s a surprise,” said
Joshua that not only legiti- day. Usyk won their first fight lost twice to the Ukrainian. push for,” Warren said. “If the Ukrainian.
mized his status as the IBF in May to become the first Now Joshua, outclassed there’s an offer made that Uysk said he was only think-
titleholder but made plenty undisputed heavyweight by Dubois, looks to be out makes a lot of sense, then ing about “Tyson Fury and
sit up and take notice. champion since 2000, but of the picture. Dubois is the that’s up to them.” the fight and of my fam-
That included Fury and vacated his IBF belt in June. main in waiting. More likely, then, is a re- ily and preparation” when
Oleksandr Usyk, current- The wider plan was for Josh- As for a potential Fury-Du- match between Dubois asked if he wanted to take
ly the two major powers ua to take on Fury report- bois fight, Frank Warren the and Usyk, especially if Usyk on Dubois again. q

Reds fire manager David Bell after 6 seasons, name bench coach

Freddie Benavides interim manager

By MITCH STACY night after six seasons. Freddie Benavides as in- five road games. The Reds tional League Central. That
AP Sports Writer The team announced the terim manager for the final have a two-game series in season also produced a
CINCINNATI (AP) — The move hours after a 2-0 loss five games of the season. Cleveland on Tuesday and National League Rookie of
Cincinnati Reds fired man- to the Pittsburgh Pirates, “David provided the kind of Wednesday before clos- the Year in second base-
ager David Bell on Sunday and named bench coach steadiness that we needed ing out the campaign with man Jonathan India.
in our clubhouse over the three games in Chicago In 2022, Cincinnati lost 100
last few seasons. We felt against the Cubs. games for the first time in
a change was needed to The 52-year-old Bell whose four decades. The Reds
move the Major League grandfather Gus and fa- improved to 82-80 in 2023,
team forward. We have ther Buddy both spent part despite leading the major
not achieved the success of their careers playing in leagues with 650 games
we expected, and we Cincinnati was hired by the missed by players because
need to begin focusing on Reds in October 2018. He of injuries.
2025,” President of Baseball had a 409-456 record over This season began with high
Operations Nick Krall said six seasons. expectations that Bell and
on a statement posted on Under Bell in 2020, the Reds the Reds couldn’t meet. An
the Reds’ website. earned a postseason berth eight-game losing streak in
With a week left in the sea- in his second season, which May put them five games
son, the Reds are 76-81 was shortened by COV- under .500. They strung to-
and in fourth place in the ID-19 to 60 games. gether seven wins in a row
NL Central, 13 1/2 games The Reds finished the 2021 in June to get them back
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell stands in the dugout during behind division champi- season with a respectable to one game under .500
a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, July 28, 2024, in
St. Petersburg, Fla. on Milwaukee. Cincinnati 83-79 record, good enough but couldn’t sustain the
Associated Press closes out the season with for third place in the Na- success.q