Daniel Dubois will enter the ring for his WBO heavyweight world championship fight against Fabio Wardley at the heaviest weight of his professional career. The official weigh-in for their highly anticipated clash, scheduled for Saturday at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena, revealed Dubois tipped the scales at 251.7 pounds.
This figure comfortably surpasses his previous career high of 243.8 pounds, which he recorded for his last bout against Oleksandr Usyk in July. His opponent, Fabio Wardley, weighed in at a solid 242.2 pounds for the championship contest.
Both fighters are renowned for their devastating knockout power, each boasting an impressive 95% knockout ratio. This shared attribute has led promoter Frank Warren to predict an explosive encounter from the opening bell. Warren anticipates a "shootout" style of fight, drawing a bold comparison to the legendary middleweight war between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns.
"Both walk forward. Both throw bombs so you know it's going to be exciting," Warren told Sky Sports. He elaborated on his prediction, stating, "I think that's what'll be, as soon as that bell goes. That's how they fight. They'll both be coming forward. There'll be no backing off. Certainly for this fight it'll be a shootout."
However, former Dubois trainer Shane McGuigan has offered a word of caution regarding the champion's approach. While McGuigan believes Dubois is the more technically proficient boxer with superior fundamentals, balance, and jab, he warns that Dubois' natural punching instincts could play into Wardley's hands.
"Daniel will most likely try to knock him out. And that is the worst thing you can do with Fabio Wardley because he's the most dangerous when he's hurt, when he's attacked," McGuigan explained. He added that the longer the fight goes with Dubois being aggressive, the higher the chance of him walking onto a fight-ending shot from Wardley.
McGuigan's strategic advice would be for Dubois to employ a disciplined, jab-heavy approach to control the distance and pace. He emphasized that Dubois possesses the footwork and jab to outbox Wardley over twelve rounds, but acknowledged the champion's innate desire to seek a knockout finish. The stage is set for a classic heavyweight confrontation between two powerful punchers.
Based on reporting from SkySports | News.