Fabio Wardley will face Daniel Dubois for the WBO heavyweight title on May 9 at Co-op Live in Manchester. Tensions have risen following a controversial remark by Wardley regarding Dubois’s potential career outside boxing.
Wardley will defend his WBO heavyweight title for the first time. He secured the title with an eleventh-round stoppage of Joseph Parker in October. The fight, billed as “Don’t Blink,” is expected to draw significant attention in the world of boxing pay-per-view.
Dubois, now 28 years old, has a record of 22 wins and three losses, with 21 knockouts. He suffered a knockout defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last July. Wardley, at age 31, remains unbeaten with 20 wins, one draw, and 19 knockouts.
Key fight details:
- The undercard starts at approximately 6 p.m. BST.
- Ring-walks are anticipated around 11 p.m. BST.
- A DAZN subscription is required to watch the fight, costing £24.99 for pay-per-view access.
Wardley’s comment about Dubois sparked backlash. He stated, “If he wasn’t a boxer, I think he might just be a bin man or something like that.” Dubois’s trainer, Don Charles, described the remark as shocking and condescending.
Dubois responded by calling it disrespectful, adding, “We’ll address that in the ring.” The rivalry between these two British heavyweights adds an extra layer of intrigue to this matchup.
