Fabio Wardley had four names in front of him for his first WBO world heavyweight title defence, and he chose Daniel Dubois.

Now, Wardley and Dubois are set to square off in Manchester on May 9. It’s Wardley’s first fight since he was officially named the full world champion; he earned that by dramatically stopping Joseph Parker at the O2 back in October.

Before all this, both Wardley and Parker were hoping to land a shot at Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight king. The plan? Whoever won their fight would take on Usyk in a massive four-belt showdown. However, Usyk then decided to relinquish the red and gold strap, leaving Wardley feeling pretty gutted.

He said he felt “robbed” of his big moment; he never got to hear his name called as the full champion in the ring. That’s the kind of thing fighters dream about. But he’s got another shot at that feeling now, this time against Dubois, who’s a former IBF heavyweight champ himself.

Originally, Wardley was deep in talks to defend his title against Derek Chisora. That fight didn’t pan out; he ended up choosing a bout with Deontay Wilder instead. Wardley also had some quick back-and-forth with Tyson Fury’s camp, but Fury wanted a warm-up fight before anything serious. So, when Wardley got a list of four names, he picked Dubois.

“The Chisora thing was close for a bit, but you know how he is,” Wardley told reporters on Wednesday. “What he wanted and how we wanted it – nothing lined up, so we moved on.”

He said talks with Fury went nowhere fast: “It was just me putting it out there, saying, ‘If you want it, I’m here.’ But he wanted a tune-up, so that was that.”

Then came the shortlist. Alongside Dubois, there were Filip Hrgovic, Jared Anderson, and Nelson Hysa. Wardley saw Dubois as the clear pick.

“I picked him because he’s the most dangerous one,” Wardley said. “Where am I going to get the most credit? What’s the best fight? From a fan’s view, Wardley vs Dubois just stands out. People will be excited about that. Those are the fights I want.”

He made it clear: he doesn’t want to be known for easy fights. “I want people to know, when Fabio Wardley steps in, it’s never going to be a walkover. I’m here for real fights, real challenges. I want to be value for money.”

This fight’s being billed as “Don’t Blink", and for good reason. Both Wardley and Dubois have a 95 per cent knockout ratio. Dubois has only lost three times: twice to Usyk and once to Joe Joyce. Wardley’s never lost, but he did have a draw with Frazer Clarke in March 2024.

Wardley told talkSPORT he thinks Dubois has a weak spot: he lacks creativity with his punches, and Wardley plans to exploit that. Dubois, though, is betting on his power. He’s convinced he’ll be the first to knock Wardley out cold.

May 9 at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, two British heavyweights, both with something to prove. It should be some night.

Emanuel Navarrete didn’t hold back this week. He made it clear that Eduardo “Sugar” Núñez isn’t just another unification opponent. With their WBO-IBF super featherweight title fight coming up Saturday night, Navarrete put Núñez in his personal top five toughest opponents. That’s a big compliment, especially from a guy who’s seen pretty much everything in the ring.

During Matchroom’s “Cards on the Table", Navarrete looked Núñez in the eye and said, “Of the five toughest opponents I’ve faced, without a doubt I consider you among them.” For a three-division champ, words like that feel loaded. Maybe he’s playing mind games. Or maybe he just respects what Núñez brings. Either way, it stands out, especially since people have been questioning Navarrete’s recent performances.

Núñez’s record looks scary: 29 wins, just one loss, and 27 knockouts. But if you look closer, things get complicated. He beat Christopher Díaz in Mexico, but that fight dragged into a twelve-round decision. Núñez couldn’t finish strong; his power faded late, and a lot of folks thought Díaz deserved a closer scorecard.

Even so, Eddie Hearn has been hyping up Núñez all week, framing him as the fresher, sharper champion in this matchup.

Meanwhile, Navarrete comes in with some baggage. His last fight against Charly Suarez got messy. The ref gave Navarrete a technical decision win, but then video replay showed Suarez caused a nasty cut with a left hook, not a head clash. The result switched to a no-contest, and the California commission ordered a rematch that never happened. That whole episode left a bad taste, and it exposed some holes in Navarrete’s defence. Now, people wonder if he can handle a disciplined, hard-hitting counter-puncher like Núñez.

Fighting in Glendale, Arizona, adds its own twist. The Mexican fan base always shows up big here, but with both guys hailing from Mexico, there’s no clear home advantage. This time, it’s all about national pride and those belts. The stakes go way beyond just the physical fight; there’s an emotional edge, too.

When two Mexican fighters square off, there’s this silent expectation: give the fans a war. Nobody wants to be the guy playing it safe or backing up all night, not with that crowd watching. It usually means both men take risks they wouldn’t take against anyone else.

Navarrete’s got the legacy, the belts, and the experience. Núñez is the hungry IBF champ looking to make his mark. In Mexican boxing, these moments when one star tries to take the torch from another tend to become legends. Just think Barrera vs. Morales. That’s the kind of fight on the table here, and both guys know what’s at stake.