When is Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois?
Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is on Saturday, May 9. The broadcast will begin at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. BST).
What channel is Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois on?
Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is a pay-per-view available via DAZN.
Where is Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois?
The fight is taking place at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Who is Fabio Wardley?
Fabio Wardley, 20-0-1 (19 KOs), is the WBO heavyweight titleholder and an unlikely success story – for multiple reasons.
Wardley, a 31-year-old from Ipswich, England, had a small handful of white-collar fights before turning pro in 2017. Despite his lack of an amateur pedigree, the 6-foot-5 fighter has done quite well. Wardley is helped immensely by a combination of a solid chin and heavy hands. He has repeatedly sustained big shots and then come from behind for dramatic knockout victories.
Wardley’s ascent truly began in 2023. He scored a seventh-round TKO that October to give David Adeleye his first defeat. Wardley then moved on to a clash in March 2024 with Frazer Clarke, who had won bronze in the 2021 Olympics. Wardley and Clarke fought to an entertaining 12-round draw. Their rematch six and a half months later was much shorter and far less competitive: Wardley demolished Clarke in the first round, denting his face and breaking his jaw.
Last year, Wardley thrilled again with a pair of wins over Justis Huni and Joseph Parker. Going into the 10th round against Huni in June, Wardley was being outboxed and was in a deep deficit on the scorecards. But he never stopped trying, and a perfectly timed and placed shot floored Huni.
Wardley moved on to challenge Joseph Parker in October for the interim WBO belt. Two of the judges had Parker ahead going into the 11th. But he hurt Parker in the 11th and had him reeling. The referee jumped in to end things – some thought the stoppage was a little premature – and once again Wardley’s power and persistence had turned things around.
After Usyk vacated the primary WBO title in November, Wardley received his upgrade. This will be his first defense.
A win over Dubois wouldn’t necessarily lead to a fight with Usyk, given that the Ukrainian great is looking at just a couple more bouts and then retiring. In lieu of an Usyk fight, Wardley could look forward to more big shows in the UK or big paydays in Riyadh. Potential foes include Moses Itauma, Deontay Wilder and the winner of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. If Usyk doesn’t face Agit Kabayel, a Kabayel-Wardley pairing would also be intriguing. We know Wardley can absorb head shots, but how would he handle a dedicated body attack?
Who is Daniel Dubois?
Daniel Dubois, 22-3 (21 KOs), is a 6-foot-5 former heavyweight titleholder whose brief reign was part of a remarkable redemptive arc. But the 28-year-old from London now needs to redeem himself once again.
Dubois turned pro in 2017 on the same day as Wardley, but in a different part of the country. He won his first 15 fights, setting up a clash in November 2020 with fellow prospect Joe Joyce, who had won a silver medal at super heavyweight in the 2016 Olympics. Joyce won via 10th-round knockout, and Dubois received a lot of criticism – unfair criticism, at that.
Dubois had taken a jab, gone down to one knee, and listened to the referee’s count. But it was the right decision: He had suffered a fractured eye socket. Fighters don’t have to go out on their shields – not when their long-term health is on the line. In mixed martial arts, fighters can tap out rather than suffer a gruesome injury or when defeat is inescapable. As with Israel Vazquez’s first fight with Rafael Marquez, sometimes it’s best to recognize that you can’t win in an impaired state, but you can prevent further harm and do better next time.
Dubois bounced back with four wins, including stoppages of Trevor Bryan and Kevin Lerena. In the latter, Dubois visited the canvas himself three times in the first round after a leg injury but was able to put Lerena away in the third. That brought Dubois into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk in 2023 to challenge for three world titles.
Usyk put Dubois away in the ninth round. For a long time afterward, however, people debated what happened in the fifth. Dubois landed a shot that put Usyk down but was ruled a low blow. Some people believed the punch was legal, while others felt it was a foul. Slow-motion replays only hardened arguments on both sides.
No matter what, Dubois had lost for a second time. He would need to work his way back into contention. And that is exactly what he did: Dubois stopped Jarrell Miller in the final seconds of their fight in December 2023, then defeated Filip Hrgovic on cuts in June 2024 for the interim IBF title. When Usyk vacated the primary IBF belt, Dubois was upgraded. His first defense was in front of a huge crowd in Wembley Stadium, where Dubois brought fans to their feet with his five-round drubbing of Anthony Joshua.
Dubois got a second shot at Usyk last July, this time with the undisputed heavyweight championship on the line. Once again, the fifth round proved pivotal. There wouldn’t be any controversy this time, though. Usyk dropped Dubois twice for the knockout win.
Dubois is still young, but this is a crucial moment for him. A win over Wardley will position him for a post-Usyk heavyweight division, perhaps for defenses against the same slate of potential opponents awaiting Wardley: Moses Itauma, Deontay Wilder or the winner of Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua. A competitive defeat would at least allow Dubois to remain in the mix alongside the other contenders.
David Greisman has covered boxing for two decades, joining BoxingScene in 2004 and launching his "Fighting Words" column soon thereafter. In the years since, he has been recognized 21 times by the Boxing Writers Association of America's annual writing awards.
David’s work has also been published in The Ring, on several websites and in his book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” which is available on Amazon. He is also co-host of the “United Boxing Podcast” covering boxing in the United Kingdom and United States. When David is not writing, you can find him hiking or searching for the most delicious food in any given city, with a strong preference for ice cream and other sweet treats. Follow him on X @fightingwords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod.
