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.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
