The team of WBO heavyweight beltholder Fabio Wardley has held talks with Daniel Dubois regarding a potential all-British showdown, according to Sky Sports.
After his dramatic fight with Joseph Parker in October, Wardley, who picked up the interim strap in victory, wanted a shot at world champion Oleksandr Usyk only for the Ukrainian to relinquish the WBO portion of his crown. The 31-year-old, who is 20-0-1 (19 KOs), was subsequently awarded the title and is now keen to finalise plans for his first defense.
BoxingScene have confirmed that it will come in April or May in Britain, with Queensberry Promotions keen to secure a big name for the event.
Dubois, then, would fit the bill. The 28-year-old is a former beltholder himself – he picked up the IBF title in virtually identical circumstances to Wardley’s coronation – but would lose his claim to the throne when he was beaten, for a second time, by Usyk in July last year. Dubois, 22-3 (21 KOs), has not fought since then but alongside Wardley remains one of the most feared punchers in the weight class.
“We’re talking to Fabio about various things and also to Daniel,” Queensberry’s Frank Warren, who promotes both fighters, told Sky Sports. “Whatever happens they’ve both got to fight, they both want to fight, and they will fight.”
Whether that proves to be against each other remains to be seen.
Wardley had been in talks with Derek Chisora before the veteran opted for an April battle with the aging Deontay Wilder instead. Last week, Chisora said the team of Wardley was difficult to deal with, hence why he moved on. Whether Chisora, long keen to secure a big fight for what he claims will be his final outing, was offered more money to take on Wilder than he was to challenge Wardley is unknown.
Other potential opponents for Wardley reportedly include Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang, both of whom are highly ranked with the WBO.
There are options for Dubois, too. Zhang was thought to be his comeback opponent of choice and Germany’s WBC interim titleholder Agit Kabayel, another Queensberry heavyweight, is believed to also be in negotiations to defend his belt in April or May. BoxingScene had learned that a “British opponent” was being lined up for Kabayel with Germany targeted as the territory following his January thrashing of the overmatched Damian Knyba in Oberhausen.
“Daniel wants to fight Kabayel," Dubois' advisor Sam Jones told BoxingScene last month. "He would love to fight Kabayel in Germany because, let’s face it, Daniel Dubois against Kabayel is not going to points so we won’t have to worry about any judging decisions."
Dubois, Lawrence Okolie, Moses Itauma, and Anthony Joshua are all highly ranked by the WBC.
