Kabayel Backs Dubois to Repeat, But Tells Wardley: Fix the Jab

Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley run it back at the O2 Arena on Saturday, October 17, with Dubois's WBO heavyweight title on the line — and WBC champion Agit Kabayel is leaning toward the man who already holds the belt. The 27-0 German told Playbook Boxing he expects Dubois to win again, though he stopped short of writing Wardley off entirely.

It's a fair read given how May played out. Dubois climbed off the canvas twice before rallying to an 11th-round stoppage, ending Wardley's unbeaten run and making himself a two-time world champion at 23-3 (22 KO). Wardley, now 20-1-1 (19 KO) and ranked #4, triggered his rematch clause almost immediately.

The Jab Problem

Kabayel's caveat comes straight from Oleksandr Usyk's post-fight breakdown, and he agreed with it. In his view, Wardley lost the first fight the moment he shelved his jab and started loading up on the right hand. Fix that, Kabayel argued, and the Ipswich man has a real path to leveling the score.

That's not a throwaway line. Wardley's power is legit — 19 stoppages in 20 wins — but power without a jab against a heavyweight who eats shots and keeps coming is a recipe for exactly what happened in May. Dubois has 22 KOs of his own and proved he can absorb the worst and still finish. Reckless brawling plays into his hands.

What's at Stake Beyond the Belt

Kabayel isn't watching for fun. He framed Dubois-Wardley II as the biggest fight in the UK heavyweight scene right now and floated the winner heading toward a unification bout — either against Filip Hrgovic or against him, for the belts. He hedged on whether politics gets in the way, but the intent was clear.

So the October 17 stakes stretch past the WBO strap. Whoever comes out of the O2 with the title in hand becomes the obvious target for a Kabayel unification push. For Wardley, that's a long way off. First he has to solve the puzzle Dubois already solved once — and, if the WBC champ is right, remember the jab that got left in the corner last time.