NO MORE EXCUSES: WHY DANIEL DUBOIS MUST PROVE HIS MENTAL TOUGHNESS AGAINST WARDLEY
Is Dubois ready for Wardley? Discover why Frank Warren is demanding control and the latest on Don Charles' return to the corner.
Daniel Dubois’ main problem against Oleksandr Usyk was control. That’s what he needs to fix if he wants any chance of beating Fabio Wardley.
Back in August 2024, Dubois faced Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title at Wembley. He showed up just 90 minutes before his ringwalk, way after Usyk had already settled in. Sure, the fifth-round knockout stung, but honestly, the chaos before the fight said just as much. When a fighter’s environment falls apart, so does the fight. That night, Dubois’ camp looked anything but organised.
Frank Warren put it simply: “That can’t happen again.” He told Sky Sports he was “tearing my hair out” over the late arrival – pretty blunt for a promoter right before a big fight. When the people running the show admit something went wrong, you know it did. They needed to make changes.
This time, Dubois and his team are keeping things tight. Warren confirmed they’ll stay in a Manchester hotel for the Wardley fight, cutting down on distractions and locking in the logistics. Dubois has also gone back to Don Charles after a short stint with Tony Sims, choosing stability and someone he trusts over more guesswork. Right now, he needs things simple and solid.
Now he’s facing Wardley, who doesn’t waste time. Wardley’s undefeated, throws a ton of punches, and turns up the heat early. If Dubois hesitates, Wardley will catch it and punish it. There’s no hiding from uncertainty in this matchup. Dubois will have to show, right away, that he’s ready.
The fight’s set for May 9 in Manchester, with the WBO heavyweight title on the line. After Wembley, Dubois gets another shot at the top. He’s called the Usyk loss a lesson and promised not to repeat the same mistakes. But talk is cheap. We’ll see if he’s really changed if his team’s prepared, if he shows up ready, and if everything around him is locked down when the pressure hits.
Manchester will tell the story. If Dubois comes in calm and focused, people will notice. If the same old mess shows up, the problem won’t be with his boxing; it’ll be about control. And in heavyweight title fights, that’s usually what decides who walks away with the belt and who goes back to chasing.
ANTHONY JOSHUA REJECTS POST-FIGHT RING FACE-OFF DESPITE FURY’S DECISIVE WIN OVER MAKHMUDOV
Eddie Hearn explains Anthony Joshua’s ring snub. Is the Fury vs AJ fight actually signed for this autumn?
Eddie Hearn laid it out pretty clearly: Anthony Joshua stayed out of the ring Saturday night and didn’t square off with Tyson Fury, even though Fury and Turki Alalshikh were both pushing hard for that dramatic moment to sell their big all-British fight for later this year.
Tyson Fury came back for yet another post-retirement bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, picking up a decisive win over Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov. It wasn’t much of a contest, really. Fury dominated, collected a unanimous decision, and then instantly shifted his attention to Anthony Joshua sitting at ringside. At one point, Joshua even whipped out his phone to record the fight.
Naturally, Fury grabbed the mic and did what he does best: he hyped up the idea of fighting Joshua next, telling the crowd (and Joshua himself) that this was the battle fans have been waiting for. He even called AJ into the ring on the spot.
But Joshua didn’t bite. He stayed put, calmly telling the crowd he’s ready to fight Fury and has been chasing it for a decade. No drama. No face-off.
Later, Fury and his camp went public. They said their side had signed the contracts weeks ago and put the blame for the holdup squarely on Joshua.
“We brought him here tonight to make this fight a done deal,” Fury said. “I’ve already signed. No idea if he has.”
Netflix, broadcasting the fight, amped things up even more by teasing that the huge British showdown would happen this autumn. But Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, pushed the decision back onto Joshua. “The only one who can confirm it is AJ,” he said. “It’s one man holding things up.”
Fury himself doubled down: “If it isn’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m done with boxing. It’s him, or I’m gone.”
On the other side, Joshua’s team fired back against any claims that AJ was running from the fight. Eddie Hearn, his promoter, explained why Joshua didn’t step into the ring: “He’s not interested in the theatrics if there’s no deal done. How many times has this fight supposedly been on? Years go by, nothing happens. Until something’s signed, it’s all just talk. AJ knows it’s Fury who really needs this, and he’ll fight him. We’re confident it happens, but right now, nothing is signed.”
And as for the talk about Joshua being scared? Hearn shut that down: “Scared of what, of that? Even Fury’s own fans feel the energy is different now. We don’t see anything other than an AJ win.”
"I WON'T BE THERE"—JOHN FURY BOYCOTTS TYSON'S TOTTENHAM HOMECOMING AGAINST MAKHMUDOV
John Fury confirms he will not attend Tyson Fury’s comeback against Makhmudov. Read why the father-son bond is "destroyed."
John Fury has already made up his mind: he won't be at his son Tyson's big comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
It’s only been 15 months since Tyson Fury said he was done with boxing, but here he is, coming out of retirement for the fifth time. On Saturday night, he’ll step into the ring at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Russia’s Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash.
Everyone’s talking about what comes next. If Fury wins, there’s buzz about finally seeing him face Anthony Joshua later this year. A rematch with Oleksandr Usyk is also floating around.
Fury says the reason for his return is personal. After a car crash killed some of Joshua’s friends last December, he says it hit him that life’s too short. He wants to live every day like it’s his last.
But not everyone’s on board, especially his dad, John. Out of everyone in Fury’s circle, John’s been the loudest in saying he doesn't want to see his son back in the ring. People have wondered if he’d even show up to the fight.
Turns out, he won’t. Mail Sport reported John won’t be at the event and is still flat-out against Tyson’s comeback, even though he did show up at the press conference back in February.
This isn’t coming out of nowhere. Just a few weeks ago, John admitted his relationship with Tyson had been badly damaged by this return to boxing.
"My relationship with Tyson is destroyed," he told Playbook Boxing. "Boxing destroyed it completely. I'll say it on camera: I've never taken £10 off him in my life and I never will.
"I don't want Tyson's money, and I don't need Tyson's money. Whatever he's got, good luck to him. But don’t forget who built his story when he was a kid. He didn't build it himself, did he? Me, his father.
"I was 30 seconds away from asking for a break there. I haven't really expressed these emotions before, but they're strong, and they're there.
"I think he's past his best. I'm a no-filter kind of guy. I say it how I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren't true, building him up like he's invincible. He's not, and he hasn't been for a while."
John isn’t the only one who feels this way. Tyson’s wife, Paris and his brother Tommy have also spoken up about wanting him to stay retired.
"If you asked any one of his family if we want to see him keep boxing, the answer would be a big ‘no’ from all of us," Tommy said to Bloody Elbow. "That’s everyone, because we care about his health."
