Don’t Blink: Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois Big Fight Preview

Don’t Blink: Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois Big Fight Preview

Don’t blink, is, for once, an accurate and appropriate tagline for a big fight. At any second, it could be over. One punch could render anything that came before irrelevant. Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois have the power to end the fight at any stage. A world heavyweight title fight that carries imminent danger.

Even with the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and even Moses Itauma, Wardley and Dubois are arguably the best two heavyweights in the country. But it is a fight that carries immense importance on the world stage.

Wardley defends his WBO heavyweight bauble against his 28-year-old challenger in Manchester on Saturday night. It might be won by who carries the bigger punch in their right hand. But resilience is probably where it will be decided.

It is an intriguing contest. Both can win. Early or late. Picking a winner will likely carry more luck than judgement. A big fight, especially a world heavyweight title fight, should be like this. Sadly, in the modern era of over-protection, it rarely is. But this is a refreshing change. A genuine 50/50 between two fighters who are evenly matched, both physically and elsewhere.

Dubois has only lost to Joe Joyce and twice to the true heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk. Wardley has never lost. In times of adversity, He always finds a way to win. There is that feeling that Dubois sometimes finds a way to lose. A narrative that is somewhat unfair. Dubois has rallied to overcome some difficulties against the likes of Kevin Lerena, Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua and won.

But mentally, he seemed to fold a little too easily in those two fights with Usyk. All three of his defeats have been inside the distance. Wardley is likely to test that mental resilience again on Saturday, and with a lot more venom in his fists. No matter what comes his way, Wardley never gives up. Dubois has done previously. The worry is that he may do again.

The 31-year-old champion brings power, and plenty of it. Wardley ironed out Justis Huni last year after being resoundingly outboxed for nine rounds. Even if Dubois is winning, even handily, he will know the fight isn’t won until it is.

But Dubois will know he will not have to go looking for his opponent. Style-wise Wardley is no Usyk. The Ukrainian is difficult to find. Wardley is not. Dubois is likely to find the target with some ease, and he is by far the biggest puncher Wardley has faced to date. The reigning WBO champion can be outboxed. But he has the knack of making a points deficit redundant. Dubois can outbox Wardley. He might even outpunch him, also. Wardley still carries that white-collar tag, and Dubois may well be the fighter to expose certain limitations that Wardley still has. But we keep saying that, and Wardley just keeps on proving people wrong. There is every chance he will again.

Dubois (22-3) is the slight betting underdog. But the odds indicate it really is anyone’s fight. A legitimate case can be made for both. How Dubois approaches the fight could be pivotal. If he decides on a shootout, literally anything could happen. Although in truth, that will apply anyway.

Wardley (20-0-1) can be hurt, but he is at his most dangerous when he seems to be on the brink of defeat. A fighter who is incredibly instinctive in moments of danger. That could be the difference on fight night.

If Dubois uses his effective and heavy jab, the way he did in that career-best victory over Anthony Joshua, Wardley will have all the trouble he can handle. The right hand carries more than enough potency to hurt Wardley. Certainly, in a way, the likes of Frazer Clarke, Justis Huni, and Joseph Parker couldn’t. If Dubois lands clean, even Fabio Wardley might not survive. Wardley isn’t the hardest fighter to find. At some point, Dubois will catch him. When he does, what happens will be pivotal. If Wardley remains standing and just keeps coming, Dubois could quickly fold. The supposed mental fragility could be in play yet again.

It really is a fight that could go long or short. It could end at any second. The edge-of-your-seat type of fight, and one that you dare not take your eyes off for fear of missing the finishing punch.

If it does become a war of attrition, Wardley is perhaps the likely winner. But I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Dubois has survived rocky moments before to come back and win, and his power could be the difference. The challenger could even win the fight a lot easier than many think.

Picking a winner is extremely difficult. Wardley might just break his opponent’s heart if the going gets tough down the stretch. But Dubois could just be a little too seasoned and hit too hard for an opponent who keeps getting away with it, as they say. But always finding a way to win is no slice of luck. It’s a skill in itself. And a very good one to have.

Whoever emerges as the winner, the fight will almost certainly deliver. The chances of it going the full twelve rounds are slim. Once Sweet Caroline is out of the way and the introductions have been blasted out, as the tagline says, don’t blink.

Photo Credit: Queensberry, Leigh Dawney