Dave Allen believes that Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is, quite simply, a case of who can ‘land the big one first.’
It was announced this week that the two monstrous punchers will square off at the Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, on May 9, headlining a Queensberry Promotions card.
This represents Wardley’s first defence of his world heavyweight title, which he acquired after being elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBO champion towards the end of last year.
Prior to Oleksandr Usyk relinquishing his WBO strap, the Ipswich man had claimed his ‘interim’ title with an 11th-round stoppage victory over Joseph Parker in October.
Again, it was a performance where Wardley showed his fearlessness in the heat of battle, dishing out the heavier artillery while trading with his more experienced opponent.
Dubois, meanwhile, has previously been accused of looking for a way out when the kitchen starts to heat up, like some feel he did against Joe Joyce and in his first encounter with Usyk.
Since those two defeats, though, the 28-year-old has largely reinvented himself with inside-the-distance victories over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
And despite suffering a fifth-round stoppage defeat during his rematch with Usyk in July, Dubois has been favoured by British heavyweight Dave Allen to take Wardley out inside six rounds.
“There’s question marks over his [Dubois’] mentality; how he does under pressure. [But] I don’t think Wardley has the style to really befuddle him the way Usyk did.
“I think he has grown out of going down on one knee, like he did with [Joe] Joyce, so I favour Dubois.
“I don’t think [Wardley’s] been in with a puncher like Dubois yet. Dubois is just as big, just as strong [and] just as powerful [as Wardley], but I think he has the tools, and the boxing skill, and the speed to land the big one first.
“From a style point of view, Wardley for Daniel is a good match. I’m going to go [with] Dubois inside six [rounds].”
While many would regard Dubois as the superior technician, largely due to Wardley’s inferior experience, the fact that both men boast a 95% knockout ratio suggests that this fight, more than likely, is not going the distance.
