On Saturday, Daniel Dubois hopes to regain the heavyweight throne at the first time of asking, challenging Fabio Wardley for the WBO world title, and in the eyes of David Price, there is one man who sticks out as the favourite.
Wardley earned knockout wins over Joseph Parker and Justis Huni in 2025 to become interim WBO champion, before he was later elevated to full WBO champion after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate the belt.
As for Dubois, he was also elevated to IBF world champion back in 2024 after a stunning win against Filip Hrgovic. In a first defence, he accepted a difficult challenge by taking on Anthony Joshua, whom he decisively knocked out after five rounds of one-sided action.
Last summer, Dubois’ reign came to an abrupt end, knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk for a second time in a bid for the coveted undisputed title. However, this weekend, he has the chance to become a two-time champion, as he takes on Wardley in Manchester.
Yet, in an interview with Boxing News, former British heavyweight champion David Price outlined why he believes Wardley will retain his belt.
“I think that the man who has got the most momentum is the man who I would have as the favourite, obviously that is Fabio Wardley. His résumé in his last four/five fights has been really good, as was Daniel Dubois’ before the Usyk fight.
“So, it depends what the Usyk fight has took out of Dubois. Will he be questioning himself? He has been accused of quitting again, he [has been told that he] could have got up by certain people in the press and things like that.
“These things will be playing on his mind, it is whether he can come out and say ‘right, I will f***ing show you’, or he will go within himself a little bit. I think that it will be the former.
“But, I think that the hand speed of Fabio Wardley will cause Dubois problems. He [Dubois] can be hit clean, obviously Wardley will have to be on high alert, he can’t afford to make one mistake but he is switched on and I think that Wardley is the man to pick.”
Wardley-Dubois takes place at the Co-Op Live Arena this weekend, where two late additions have further strengthened the undercard.
