Fabio Wardley believes his “variability”, and Daniel Dubois’ lack thereof, will contribute to a successful stab at revenge tomorrow night.
Proceedings became rather one-sided during their first encounter in May, when Wardley scored two early knockdowns before enduring a sustained beating.
There were, of course, plenty of redeeming qualities, including the resilience and staying powers he showed. But ultimately, the Ipswich man appeared to be getting increasingly outclassed and lost his WBO title to a brutal 11th-round stoppage.
Since then, though, Wardley has analysed the performances of both himself and his opponent, and arrived at the conclusion that, while Dubois is immensely effective, there is an element of predictability to his thudding jab and in-and-out movement.
“Yeah, [there’s] a number of flaws. With Daniel, he’s very good at what he does. But he’s not suddenly going to start bouncing and being really fleet-footed, [carrying] a low lead [hand] and popping surprising jabs from out of nowhere, [with] a lot of head movement. He’s just not that type of fighter. Nor has he really changed over his career.
“Whereas, with me, I’ve shown different performances and have shown to be stylistically different, depending on which opponent’s in front of me. I’ve been able to make adjustments on relatively short notice, like in the [Frazer Clarke rematch], for example. So I probably have more variability. That’s probably an area he’s lacking in.”
Indeed, Wardley orchestrated a vastly different outcome when, after boxing to a thrilling draw with Clarke, he ended their rematch with a bone-shattering first-round finish.
It remains to be seen whether he can do the same against Dubois but, even aside from the tactical and technical elements, the 31-year-old has full confidence in his power and durability to get the job done.
He did, after all, floor Dubois in rounds one and three of their first encounter. And as far as Wardley is concerned, the shots he landed were not even among the most potent in his arsenal.
“I know I’ve got the power to knock him down, and I’m pretty confident because both of those connections [for the knockdowns] weren’t the cleanest – they were more glancing blows.
“Knowing that I can take his best shots, still be on my feet, and he seemingly can’t take mine – [or at least] goes down – brings a level of confidence as well.”
While Wardley did, indeed, show tremendous resolve during his first fight with Dubois, one of the main criticisms was that his corner, referee Howard Foster and even the ringside doctor were far too willing to keep him in the line of fire.
Yet despite being on the receiving end of such punishment, Wardley came away with no complaints and, even still, is perfectly happy to put his health in the hands of his coaches.
“I trust these people with my life, and I don’t say that lightly. They know me well enough. I keep my circle very refined, very close.”
As he attempts to reclaim his world heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena, Wardley, it seems, will bring his usual tenacity but, this time, is planning to capitalise on any opportunity to get Dubois out of there.
