Big Men, Big Stakes: Wardley vs Dubois Heavyweight Showdown, Saturday, DAZN PPV

Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois faceoff for the final time on Friday in Manchester. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queenberry Promotions
Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois faceoff for the final time on Friday in Manchester. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queenberry Promotions
by Gayle Falkenthal, Boxing Editor

What To Know about Wardley vs Dubois:

  • WBO World Heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley and former heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois fight on Saturday, May 9, in Manchester, England for Wardley’s title
  • The fight card airs on DAZN PPV beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, with ring walks expected at approximately 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. Cost in the US is $59.95.
  • Both men have a 95% knockout rate, and the odds are virtually 50/50. The fight is expected to end long before the final bell.

WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley didn’t make the first defense of his title easy on himself. He will face former world champion Daniel Dubois at Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England, in a much-anticipated fight among UK fans on Saturday.

The fight airs on DAZN PPV and as part of the DAZN Ultimate plan, with the main card starting at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Expect the Wardley vs Dubois ringwalk at approximately 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Wardley of Ipswitch, England (20-0-1, 19 KOs) weighed in at 242.2 pounds. Wardley’s weight hasn’t varied more than a pound for his last seven bouts. Dubois of London (22-3, 21 KOs) weighed in at 251.7 pounds, his all time high and more than eight pounds heavier than in his previous fight, a loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

When a fight features two men in the top five of the heavyweight division, both with a 95% knockout rate, the excitement is baked right in. With both men looking forward to their future prospects with a win, and oddsmakers finding it difficult to prefer one man over the other, experts and fans alike expect nothing less than an epic fight to remember for as long as it lasts.

Fabio Wardley’s Improbable Rise

Wardley, whose improbable rise in boxing began with white-collar fights in his 20s after his aspirations to play professional soccer didn’t pan out, has a congenial, relaxed personality with a smile on his face. He exudes confidence and why shouldn’t he? Everything has gone right so far for Wardley.

Wardley has never lost, and in just 21 pro fights with zero amateur experience, he’s beaten former champion Joseph Parker and three undefeated contenders in a row, including Justis Huni, Fraser Clarke, and David Adeleye, all by knockout.

Daniel Dubois Rides the Boxing Roller Coaster

Dubois has experienced higher highs and lower lows than Wardley. He’s coming off a loss in an attempt to become the undisputed champion in the July rematch against Usyk, and no shame in this.

Prior to the Usyk rematch, Dubois had a three-fight knockout streak against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and a shocking beatdown and humiliation of former unified champion Anthony Joshua. Now, Dubois must find the magic that fueled him to the triumph over Joshua, and not the loss to Usyk. But whether he is riding high or low, Dubois is a stone-faced character of few words.

The fight’s intrigue lies in large part on which version of Daniel Dubois will show up on Saturday.

Wardley: 100% Confidence

Though Wardley is the man riding high, he understands how quickly things can change in boxing, especially in the heavyweight division. Accordingly, he treats every fight as the biggest fight in his career, including the one ahead of him.

“You can be up, you can be down, all very quickly … I’m used to throwing myself in the deep end, used to picking the biggest, the toughest, whoever is out there, the best fight for me, and this is no different,” said Wardley.

“It’s been a wild ten years. It’s been a roller coaster on an upward trajectory. Things have been going at a high pace. But I’ve come into boxing the same way you see me now,” said Wardley.

Wardley has spoken at length about his late start, his lack of amateur experience, and continues to answer the same questions with good cheer. But it doesn’t define him.

“I believe that irrespective of pedigree, history, experience going into a fight, I believe that I can beat him regardless of losing a round, losing all the rounds, whatever else. It doesn’t matter what’s going on that fight. That faith, that belief in me is unwavering.

“I’ll always have 100% confidence that I can get my opponent out there and I can get the win like I’ve proven time and time again,” declared Wardley.

Dubois: Dialed In

Dubois said only what was absolutely necessary in his economical way, saying he was focused and dialed in.

“I’m there to show my pedigree. There’s levels to this,” said Dubois, saying he would win “by any means necessary. I’m in for business.” He said he’s not looking for a particular target.

Wardley was more specific. “I’m going to go in there the same way I go in all my fights, providing entertainment value for money for the fans, and only getting the win and he is getting knocked out. I’ve done it to 95% of my other opponents, and he’s just another one on the list for me.

“There’s going to be no questions about it. There’s going to be no ifs, buts, maybes. I’m going to land clean, land sharp, and get him out of there.”

On Thursday, the fighters’ managers were more than willing to engage in a verbal brawl.

Promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry couldn’t be more pleased about the matchup or the lead-up. Warren commands the largest share of the top heavyweight talent, with the exception of Oleksandr Usyk and win or lose, he’ll be in a strong position.

“They’re two tremendous fighting men,” said Warren. “I take my hat off to them that they agreed to do this. This is a fabulous fight. It’s going to be a barnburner from the first bell.

“I’ve promoted fights for nearly 49 years now. I’ve been doing it a long, long time. This fight excites me. This can, this will be, I believe, fight of the year.

“I believe it’d be one of those fights that people will be speaking about in years to come.”

Wardley vs Dubois Prediction

Tale of the Tape for Wardley vs Dubois. Copyright G. Falkenthal/Gemini
Tale of the Tape for Wardley vs Dubois. Copyright G. Falkenthal/Gemini

Neither Wardley nor Dubois has fought to the final bell more than once. Virtually no one thinks Saturday’s fight will make it to the final bell. (If you do, place your bet now, and if you’re right, enjoy the payoff.) With a 95% knockout rate, this is the easy call.

Both men are in their prime, both have plenty of power, and all the basic tools.

Dubois has more impressive wins, particularly the victory over Joshua. But he also has more losses, as Dubois has taken more risks than Wardley. Losses only matter if they weren’t used as an opportunity to learn.

Doubters point to the way Dubois lost, arguing he yielded too easily in his fights against Joe Joyce and in both losses to Usyk. Dubois suffered a broken orbital bone against Joyce, so it’s not a fair call.

Usyk crushed Dubois’s spirit in both their matchups, and whether Dubois lost his will or was smart enough to call it a day when a win wasn’t in his grasp, only the man himself can say.

But at other times, Dubois has been plenty durable both mentally and physically. Say what you will about his performance against Kevin Lerena, he overcame three knockdowns to win by stoppage. He went into the Joshua fight as an underdog and blew right past AJ.

Figuring out which version of Dubois shows up is the unknown factor.

Wardley exudes the confidence of a winner. No matter how far behind he gets in a fight, he has the heavyweight eraser in his hands and finds a way. He was behind 89-82, 89-82, and 88-83 on the cards against Justis Huni when he knocked him out.

Wardley has been learning on the job and applying the lessons learned. Wardley battled Frazer Clarke to a draw in their first fight, a Fight of the Year finalist. Everyone expected Round 13 in the rematch, but Wardley made the experience pay off in a first-round knockout. What has he learned from the knockouts against Huni and Parker?

Dubois has more power, but Wardley has more than enough to get the job done. He’s busted an orbital bone or two. Both have decent chins. This is where determination can give a fighter the edge.

Wardley seems to always find a way to win, even when he falls behind. Dubois tends to lose his will. So far, it’s been a fairy tale for Wardley, and when momentum and confidence are on your side, your opponent has an uphill climb.

PREDICTION: Wardley by TKO, between rounds six and eight.

Wardley vs Dubois Undercard Matchups

The undercard features several solid matchups, including the return of light heavyweight David Morrell, the Cuban fighter based in Minneapolis. Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) was scheduled to face Callum Smith, but Smith pulled out due to an injury. A place was found for Morrell on this card against London-based fighter Zak Chelli (16-3-1, 8 KOs), who took the fight on short notice to try his luck against the heavy-handed Cuban. Chelli has never been stopped. The fight is taking place at a catchweight of 178 pounds.

Heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan (16-0, 16 KOs), part of the Uzbek stable in Indio, California at the Diaz Brothers gym, takes on Agron Smakici of Croatia (21-3, 19 KOs). With this firepower in play, expect an early night for someone not named Jalolov. Jalolov has already called out Moses Itauma, and Frank Warren wouldn’t hesitate to match up the pair.

British fans are eager to see the matchup between Jack Rafferty of Lancashire (26-0-1, 17 KOs) and Ekow Essuman of Nottingham (22-2, 8 KOs). Essumen was on the rise before taking a late-round TKO loss to Jack Catterall last November. Rafferty, the former British and Commonwealth super lightweight champion, moves up to the welterweight division for the fight after taking down multiple top British prospects.