Roy Jones Jr has offered a measure of analysis on Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois, branding one of the heavyweights as a ‘modern-day George Foreman.’
The pair will headline a Queensberry Promotions card on May 9, with Wardley making the first defence of his WBO world title at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.
He was elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion immediately after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt towards the end of last year, following Wardley’s 11th-round finish over Joseph Parker in October.
Prior to that, many doubted whether the Ipswich man could compete at world level, even after his brutal stoppages over Justis Huni and Frazer Clarke.
By defeating Parker, though, the 31-year-old has firmly cemented himself as a top-tier heavyweight, destructive enough to halt proceedings at any given moment.
The same, to a comparable extent, could be said for Dubois, who has not fought since suffering a fifth-round stoppage defeat to Usyk last July.
As a result, the Londoner was relieved of his IBF world title, which he had previously defended with a fifth-round finish over Anthony Joshua in September 2024.
But while both competitors carry dynamite power, pound-for-pound legend Jones has told Grosvenor Casinos that he heavily favours Wardley if their all-British dustup goes past round seven.
“Fabio Wardley is a very, very tough customer. I’ve learned to love watching Fabio, and I refuse to ever count him out again.
“Dubois probably is the better boxer, but he had better get Fabio out early, because if the fight gets past round seven, it becomes a Fabio fight.
“Fabio is a modern-day George Foreman. If Fabio gets to round 7 or 8, you can pretty much kiss the baby goodbye.”
By drawing the Foreman comparison, Jones is highlighting Wardley’s power and grit in the heat of battle – something he looks to prove once again next month in Manchester against the hardest puncher he has faced so far.
