This Saturday night, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois go toe-to-toe in one of the most intriguing bouts in British heavyweight history, with the WBO crown at stake.
Ahead of the action, well-respected former trainer and fight analyst, Teddy Atlas, has made his prediction for how the contest will play out.
Wardley announced himself on the world stage with a knockout win against Justis Huni whilst behind on the cards, last summer. Then, in just his second outing beyond the domestic level, he halted Joseph Parker to claim the WBO Interim title.
Oleksandr Usyk decided not to face Wardley and subsequently vacated the belt, allowing the Ipswich fan-favourite to be elevated to full world champion, but the 31-year-old has agreed to a difficult first defence against ‘Triple D’ – who lost his IBF strap to Usyk last time out.
As a result, Saturday night is sure to be telling for both men and, on his YouTube channel, Atlas explained why the similar strengths of both Wardley and Dubois make this fight so interesting.
“It might come down to who lands first. Both guys are big punchers and the punch that they deliver with the most frequency and knockout power is the right hand – and they both get hit with right hands. They both have been caught with right hands, so both of them are susceptible to the other guy’s forte, to the other guy’s strength.
“The mental is always important, where is a guy mentally? 75% of this is mental. That edge has to go, right now, to Wardley, who just won a heavyweight title, he is undefeated and Dubois is coming off a knockout loss to Usyk. So, mentally you gotta have the edge for Wardley, but Dubois has been here before.
“Dubois is much more experienced and I don’t mean [just] in the pro’s, I mean he had an amateur background. What makes Wardley so extraordinary, and makes his story so extraordinary, is that he had no amateur fights.”
When it came to a prediction, Atlas believes the fight will last no longer than eight rounds and says he ‘cannot go against’ Wardley.
“It’s a very interesting fight. I am going to go with the under [8.5 rounds]. I think that Dubois has got a chance of winning this fight, I do, but I am not going against Wardley, not when he is on this magic carpet ride.”
Wardley-Dubois takes place at the Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday, May 9, topping an undercard that has been bolstered by two late additions.
