Wardley's Verdict on Dubois' Power Before Their October 17 Rematch

Fabio Wardley says Daniel Dubois hits hard — just not as hard as advertised. Ahead of their October 17 rematch at London's O2 Arena, the 20-1-1 (19 KO) former WBO champion offered a blunt reassessment of the man who stopped him in the 11th round back in May. His verdict: Dubois punches plenty, but not enough to scare Wardley off going for his own finish.

That's a bold stance from a fighter who ate a sustained beating before the towel came in. Wardley actually started the Manchester bout like a house on fire, dropping Dubois inside the first 10 seconds and again in round three. Then the champion, now 23-3 with 22 knockouts, settled behind his jab, took control, and turned the fight into a one-way affair by the finish.

Wardley's Read on the Power

Speaking to Queensberry Promotions, Wardley wasn't about to pretend Dubois is a light hitter. He acknowledged the champion is big, strong and athletic, and that he does bang. But he said the shots weren't as concerning as he'd braced for — he took a few coming in, filed them under 'not fun but survivable,' and pressed on. That calculation, he suggested, shaped how the whole night unfolded.

The logic is straightforward enough: if you can absorb the biggest weapon in the division without folding, you can plant your feet and trade. Wardley made clear he was happy to take heavy shots on the chin for the chance to land his own. Expect that same trade-happy blueprint in the rematch.

Why the Belt Is Back on the Line

This is a title fight because of a chain reaction. Wardley won the WBO interim strap by stopping Joseph Parker in the 11th at the O2 last year — the same venue, the same round number, oddly enough — before being upgraded to full champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated. Dubois then took that belt off him in May, and Wardley immediately triggered the rematch clause.

So the sequel returns to Wardley's most successful stage against the only man to beat him. Both are heavyweight punchers with combined 41 knockouts between them, and both have every reason to open aggressively. The question is whether the first fight was a fluke of pacing or a genuine skill gap — and whether Wardley's chin holds up long enough for his theory about Dubois' power to matter.