Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois | DAZN PPV - 9 May 2026

[Kilburn]

The way Wardley responded in the 10th round vs Parker, and then closed the show in the next round, is evidence of that little bit of extra special that could / should tip this fight with Dubois in his favour.

That’s assuming they make it to the war of attrition stage.

[rd350lc]

Dubois is looking riled and twitchy.

Fabio always comes across well, I hope he wins but it's going to be a tough ask.

[Spud MK2]

Dubois possibly inside 3 roounds

[jamesmcdonnell]

It was the Joyce defeat that first made me a real fan of Dubois. His heavy punching work rate was impressive up until the end. Bowing out with a broken eye socket was hardly a disgrace.

Lerena stung him with a shot but it was pretty clear from what followed that the knee was the real issue affecting Dubois, who rallied back and nearly took the guys head off with that uppercut.

The Usyk losses never look great, but then who’s to say Wardley wouldn’t also go down in a heap vs Usyk? Hard to imagine an alternative outcome really.

Wardley has it in him to beat Dubois spectacularly for sure, but it won’t be some sort of Usyk blueprint he’ll be using, which means it’s likely Dubois will have ample opportunity to throw and land himself.

May the best man win.

Lest we forget, dubois was being oujtabbed, outthought and outmanouvered by Joyce, a man who moves so slowly he has a geological clock on his kitchen wall.

Fabio doesnt have to be the second coming of wayne sleep, let alone nureyev to keep dubois off kilter.

[skanksta]

The Second Coming of... Wayne Sleep !

Joe Joyce has a geological clock on his wall isn't bad either.

So..,

It's really hard to split them and a lot of votes either way, but there is a consensus.
DDD is probably a little better, but he's flaky, while Fabio is reliable.


Anyone got any other angles > ?

[Noxy]

The Second Coming of... Wayne Sleep !

Joe Joyce has a geological clock on his wall isn't bad either.

So..,

It's really hard to split them and a lot of votes either way, but there is a consensus.
DDD is probably a little better, but he's flaky, while Fabio is reliable.


Anyone got any other angles > ?

Fabio’s not the best defensively, which is not what you want when going against DDD. On paper, DDD wins, then again this is Wardley we’re talking about.

[MightyWarrior]

There’s so much to like about Fabio, not just that he’s a slam bang heavyweight puncher with a big heart, but also he’s clearly a really decent human being - he comes across 100% real and down to earth.

I like DDD very much as well, but I’d like to see Fabio somehow get out of this fight Saturday night with a win, though it’s fraught with danger. He’s got to be so careful, because he understandably thinks his chin is bulletproof, but those heavy hands of DD could be a huge shock if he’s not moving his head.

I’m not sure how long Moses has been in the same gym as Fabio, with the heavyweight man of the moment Ben Davidson, but they’ve never sparred, which is interesting. Makes sense I guess, because they’re going to be meeting somewhere down the road you’d think.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/ ... ses-itauma

[Controversial]

Has Wardley been in with a world class puncher yet, Clarke and Adeleye decent punchers but not really against anyone world class. Be interesting to see how he takes DDD power, and vice versa.

[Kilburn]

It was the Joyce defeat that first made me a real fan of Dubois. His heavy punching work rate was impressive up until the end. Bowing out with a broken eye socket was hardly a disgrace.

Lerena stung him with a shot but it was pretty clear from what followed that the knee was the real issue affecting Dubois, who rallied back and nearly took the guys head off with that uppercut.

The Usyk losses never look great, but then who’s to say Wardley wouldn’t also go down in a heap vs Usyk? Hard to imagine an alternative outcome really.

Wardley has it in him to beat Dubois spectacularly for sure, but it won’t be some sort of Usyk blueprint he’ll be using, which means it’s likely Dubois will have ample opportunity to throw and land himself.

May the best man win.

Lest we forget, dubois was being oujtabbed, outthought and outmanouvered by Joyce, a man who moves so slowly he has a geological clock on his kitchen wall.

Fabio doesnt have to be the second coming of wayne sleep, let alone nureyev to keep dubois off kilter.

I think it’s also fair to say that Wardley would have a significant problem or two if matched vs 2020 Joyce.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fabio Wardley tells ‘binman’ Daniel Dubois: “Don’t let people get into your head”

Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois get into a heated row over ‘binman’ comments

Daniel Dubois addressed Fabio Wardley over his disrespectful comments during yesterday’s final press conference in Manchester, “By the way, I heard you call me the dust man, and I’m gonna collect the trash, boy!”

During a fight week interview, the WBO world heavyweight champion was asked to assign Dubois an occupation in a plaful scenario where he wasn’t a professional boxer instead. Wardley guessed that he would likely be a binman.

Dubois did not take the comment well, “Na, it’s disrespect, so I’m going to put it right in the ring, boy. I’m gonna bust his bubble anyway. That’s what I’ve got to do.”

Wardley replied back, “What did you say, dustman? I didn’t call you the dustman. Someone asked me what you might have as a job and I said, ‘He might be a binman’.

“There was no negative with that, don’t let people get into your head. You didn’t hear it. You let other people talk to you. I didn’t say it was a bad job.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daniel Dubois slams Fabio Wardley for 'disrespect' as tensions rise before WBO title fight

Daniel Dubois has hit back at Fabio Wardley for saying he would be a bin man if he wasn't a boxer.

Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) was asked what he thought Dubois Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) would do for work if he wasn't a fighter in a social clip which caused a stir in the build-up to their fight. He replied: "A bin man or something like that."

The trash talk ramped up between the two at Thursday's news conference ahead of their WBO heavyweight title clash in Manchester on Saturday, with Dubois calling out his rival's comment which he regarded as disrespectful.

"By the way Fabio, I heard you called me the [bin man]. I'm going to collect that trash," Dubois said.

"It's disrespect, so I'm going to put it right in the ring. I'm going to put it right in the ring. I heard what you said. I'm going to burst his bubble, anyway. That's what I'm going to do."

Wardley defended the comment, insisting he meant no disrespect.

"Someone asked me what you might have as a job and I said 'bin man,'" Wardley told the news conference.

"There was no negative with that. Don't let other people get in your head and tell you what it comes across as. You didn't hear what I said, you don't run your own social media. You let other people talk to you ... It wasn't like that. I didn't say it was a bad job."

Asked if he was "rattled," Dubois said: "Not at all. I love this fight. I'm 100% ready."

Wardley replied sarcastically: "Not at all. He's cool as a cucumber. Look at him, he's chilled."

With 40 knockouts between them, the pair are expected to produce an action-packed clash in what promoter allegedly predicts will be a fight of the year candidate.

"This is sold out. It's a brilliant fight. It should sell out," Warren told ESPN. "It's two guys in their prime, it's not like an old guy fighting a young guy on the way up, and one's on the way down."

WBO champion Wardley is yet to defend his title having not won it in the ring. He was elevated to full champion in November after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

Dubois is coming off a defeat to Usyk last summer, the third loss in his career, but is bidding to become a two-time heavyweight champion.

"The pair of them, they've got a lot to prove," Warren added.

"They've got a similar style in the sense they both walk forward, they're punchers ... As soon as that bell goes, you're going to get fireworks."

[Ricky]

Fabio Wardley tells ‘binman’ Daniel Dubois: “Don’t let people get into your head”

Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois get into a heated row over ‘binman’ comments

Daniel Dubois addressed Fabio Wardley over his disrespectful comments during yesterday’s final press conference in Manchester, “By the way, I heard you call me the dust man, and I’m gonna collect the trash, boy!”

During a fight week interview, the WBO world heavyweight champion was asked to assign Dubois an occupation in a plaful scenario where he wasn’t a professional boxer instead. Wardley guessed that he would likely be a binman.

Dubois did not take the comment well, “Na, it’s disrespect, so I’m going to put it right in the ring, boy. I’m gonna bust his bubble anyway. That’s what I’ve got to do.”

Wardley replied back, “What did you say, dustman? I didn’t call you the dustman. Someone asked me what you might have as a job and I said, ‘He might be a binman’.

“There was no negative with that, don’t let people get into your head. You didn’t hear it. You let other people talk to you. I didn’t say it was a bad job.”

The dustman stuff is mildly amusing

[keithmoonhangover]

I went to bed thinking DDD is going to win, woke up this morning certain it's Wardley by KO.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jack Rafferty, now a full-time boxer, won’t let Ekow Essuman send him back to work

While many fighters want to be busy and stay active, after his exhausting battle with Mark Chamberlain, Jack Rafferty knew he needed a rest.

They boxed to a frenetic 12-round draw in Altrincham last August and Rafferty, who moved to 26-0-1 (17 KOs), has not fought since.

“We’re only human at the end of the day,” Rafferty told Boxing Scene. “I gave my body that rest and that rest will be shown. took a bit of time off, healed a couple of injuries. And I’ve had it hard since I had Henry Turner. Then I had Reece MacMillan and Cory O’Regan within eight weeks. Sometimes the fights aren’t hard, but the training camp’s even harder. So then going into Mark Chamberlain in August… and I got married in September and gave myself a little bit of time off. Healed up, ready to go for Saturday.”

It is likely that Rafferty will have to go the well again in Manchester, where he faces Ekow “The Engine” Essuman on the Fabio Wardley-Daniel Dubois bill at the Co-op Live Arena.

It will be physical, which certainly describes Rafferty’s fight with Portsmouth southpaw Chamberlain.

“That’s what you’re remembered for, right? You know, forget the titles, what you win, it’s, ‘Bloody hell, that was a good fight,’” Rafferty added.

“That’s what you remember. ‘I remember that fight.’ What a fight. It was a draw. He thought he won. I thought I won. Unfortunately, the rematch hasn’t happened. It is what it is. We’ve gone our different ways. But what a cracking fight. I’ve moved up to 147 now. So, it is a bit more off the cards. It was spoke about, but things fizzled out.”

Chamberlain will fight Irish star Pierce O’Leary in August, and Rafferty can see them fighting again in the future, even if they’re on different paths for now.

“I think there’s a bit of unfinished business there. I think it would be fan-friendly and it would be in high demand. We’ll get paid well for it and we could fight again, like I said, let’s settle the score.”

Of course, Essuman comes first and Rafferty feels he is in another bout that can’t miss for entertainment.

“What a fighter, Ekow Essuman,” Rafferty admitted. “What a card to be on. Another cracking fight off allegedly on a massive heavyweight WBO world title bill. Ekow Essuman, he’s done a lot in the sport, and I’m excited.”

Did he see Essuman’s gutsy stoppage loss to Jack Catterall earlier in the year?

“I did, yeah, I watched it. Listen, Jack’s fighting for a world title next,” said Rafferty. “He [Essuman]’s been [beaten at] fringe world title level, he [Catterall]’s fighting for a world title next, I don’t think that's no disgrace whatsoever. I know what Ekow’s about. Looks after himself. What a fighter. Done a lot in the sport, doing a lot in the sport. I’m ready.”

Rafferty knows what he is up against, someone who trades off being super-fit and dragging his opponents into the deeper waters of a fight.

But Rafferty has not been found wanting in the engine stakes himself and he’s clearly excited by the prospect of seeing who will win this survival of the fittest.

“I believe this will be the best Jack Rafferty come Saturday night,” he added. “What a fight to be in.”

Styles should gel for a good match, and Rafferty understands there could be momentum shifts.

“You don't have to win every minute of every round to win the fight,” he admitted. “I’m not saying that’s my plan, I am trying to, but things don’t go like that. Things don’t go absolutely perfect. And I think you develop that knowledge and ring IQ of a fight and that comes into play on fight night.”

That ring IQ has been learned during his reign as the British and Commonwealth 140lbs champion but Rafferty believes a big win on Saturday will stamp his name among the top fighters in the world at 147lbs.

He is a full-time pro who is living his dream and there is no turning back for him now.

“I think that’s what you’ve got to do when you get to this level,” he said of going full-time. “It’s all or nothing. I was saying before, get rich or die trying and you’ve got to cash in yourself and put everything into boxing and see where you get with it.”

Rafferty was working as an electrician before he became a full-time pro and he is not excited by the prospect of going back to work after boxing.

“No, that’s the scariest thing ever,” he said. “I think having to go back to work, I’m not condoning not going to work, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to have to go on that building site again. I don’t know what the figure is to not have to work again, but I’ll be working my hardest in the gym to try and find out what that is.”
Would he stay in boxing?

“It depends how much money I make,” he smiled. “If I’m sat on a multi-million-pound yacht, it might be a bit different, but I’d like to. I’d like to help the kids. Trainers at our gym get a massive kick from that, developing a kid, you know, a scruffy, snotty-nosed kid into an amateur champion. That must be a massive achievement for them. So I think it’d be nice to help our local area, Manchester, and hopefully make a good enough name for myself and help them kids.”

But, of course, there is the small matter of Essuman to negotiate first and the Nottingham man probably represents the best Rafferty has faced in his career thus far.

It is just as well, then, that Rafferty enjoys his work.

After Chamberlain, Rafferty got married but was soon back in the gym, ticking over and preparing for the next call.

“It’s my job, this is how I get paid,” he concluded.

“So it’s straight back into business. It’s not a job because I love doing what I do. And that’s why we’re back to business.”

[KiwiRider]

Has Wardley been in with a world class puncher yet, Clarke and Adeleye decent punchers but not really against anyone world class. Be interesting to see how he takes DDD power, and vice versa.

No, Wardley hasn't been in with a world class puncher.
Parker (not a world class puncher) hit him absolutely flush, so many times and attrition didn't get him.
Fraiser Clark buckled Fabio's legs in their first fight, but no one has got to him yet.

[geronimo]

Wardley inside 6th round

[Ruthless-RKO]

Khaleel Majid ready for big Gavin Gwynne test

At some point, every aspiring champion must pass an acid test. Khaleel Majid sits his this weekend.

On Saturday night, the 28-year-old junior welterweight from Bolton will step up a number of levels and box Welsh warhorse, Gavin Gwynne (18-4-2, 5 KOs) on the undercard of the WBO heavyweight title fight between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.

For the first time in his career, Majid will walk to the ring as a betting underdog but he insists that the build up hasn’t felt any different to normal.

“Not really. I mean, it's a fight I'm more excited for. A fight that I'm actually up for and a fight I'm looking forward to,” Majid (16-0, 4 KOs) told The Ring.

“We know what Gavin brings. I’m giving Gavin a lot of respect. I think he's a fringe world level opponent. He's the best opponent I'm going to face to date and it's a challenge I'm certainly up for.”

Majid has a large fanbase and estimates he has sold around a thousand tickets for this weekend’s fight which takes place at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena. Over the years, lots of fighters who move the amount of tickets Majid does have been slowly but surely manoeuvred through the rankings and steered away from serious danger until the reward was worth the risk.

Majid has steadily upped his level of opposition but insists that he has patiently waited and ticked all the necessary boxes before making a big leap.

“In all honesty, I've never hand-picked any of my opponents. Everyone that they’ve asked me to fight, I've fought,” he said.

“My last two previous opponents, did I want to fight them? No, I wanted bigger names, but there's a process. I've had to do everything that was asked of me to get this opportunity.”

Majid has very recent evidence of the scale of the task he faces this weekend.

In November of 2024 Gwynne was chosen to provide Cameron Vuong with a test and although he lost a controversial decision, he came within a whisker of beating the hyped prospect. Twelve months later, he and Vuong boxed to a hard fought draw in a rematch. Gwynne believes that he won both fights.

Those two performances have proven that he still has plenty to offer and whilst he may be stepping up to 140 pounds on Saturday, he will still poses a very real threat to Majid’s unbeaten record.

Majid is confident that he will do a more conclusive job than Vuong.

“Look, everyone's got their own style,” he said.

“Cameron Vuong is a good fighter. I’m not taking anything away from him but styles make fights and I believe I'm that bit cuter, a bit smarter. Just a different style. By being the best me. As a boxer you believe you can beat anyone.

[Frostieballs]

Wardley inside 6th round

That’s a big pick considering the differing levels of opposition they have faced…

[paultom]

Wardley inside 6th round

That’s a big pick considering the differing levels of opposition they have faced…

50% of the votes on here pick Wardley by ko, probably sitting out the counts v Usyk has persuaded a lot on here that DD isn't as mentally strong ?

[tony1234]

Wardley inside 6th round

That’s a big pick considering the differing levels of opposition they have faced…

50% of the votes on here pick Wardley by ko, probably sitting out the counts v Usyk has persuaded a lot on here that DD isn't as mentally strong ?

Will Dubois be mentally strong if the fight doesn't go his way ? Evidence in previous fights show that

[Ruthless-RKO]

That’s a big pick considering the differing levels of opposition they have faced…

50% of the votes on here pick Wardley by ko, probably sitting out the counts v Usyk has persuaded a lot on here that DD isn't as mentally strong ?

Will Dubois be mentally strong if the fight doesn't go his way ? Evidence in previous fights show that

When he runs out of ideas. ideas run out of him..

[paultom]

50% of the votes on here pick Wardley by ko, probably sitting out the counts v Usyk has persuaded a lot on here that DD isn't as mentally strong ?

Will Dubois be mentally strong if the fight doesn't go his way ? Evidence in previous fights show that

When he runs out of ideas. ideas run out of him..

I think we can only go on what we know so far, i hope he doesn't quit and it's a classic but if and when he gets clipped we'll know then

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will Dubois be mentally strong if the fight doesn't go his way ? Evidence in previous fights show that

When he runs out of ideas. ideas run out of him..

I think we can only go on what we know so far, i hope he doesn't quit and it's a classic but if and when he gets clipped we'll know then

yh, can only judges based on what we know and have seen.

[CaptainSpacerod]

It was the Joyce defeat that first made me a real fan of Dubois. His heavy punching work rate was impressive up until the end. Bowing out with a broken eye socket was hardly a disgrace.

Lerena stung him with a shot but it was pretty clear from what followed that the knee was the real issue affecting Dubois, who rallied back and nearly took the guys head off with that uppercut.

The Usyk losses never look great, but then who’s to say Wardley wouldn’t also go down in a heap vs Usyk? Hard to imagine an alternative outcome really.

Wardley has it in him to beat Dubois spectacularly for sure, but it won’t be some sort of Usyk blueprint he’ll be using, which means it’s likely Dubois will have ample opportunity to throw and land himself.

May the best man win.

Well said Kilburn

I think DD gets a lot of gratuitous criticism that he doesn’t deserve. I’ve not seen anybody calling Zurdo a quitter for doing exactly the same thing against Benavidez that Daniel did against Joyce

Yes he was well beaten twice by Usyk but he gave Usyk more trouble, albeit briefly, with that phantom low blow than AJ and Fury did in 48 rounds between them

He proved he has cojones in the Miller and Hrgivic fights and then proved he could handle his nerves on the biggest stage of all by spectacularly doing to AJ what nobody had been able to do before.

I don’t like the way he’s beginning to be slightly mocked in a condescending way by people just for being slightly awkward in interviews with implications that he’s stupid or autistic. Maybe he’s just a bit shy around strangers who are asking him the same mundane questions over and over again.

Wardley comes across as a great guy and I wish him well but I’d like to see Daniel win this and shut a few of his critics up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jack Rafferty ready to make welterweight statement vs. Ekow Essuman

Jack Rafferty starts the next phase of his career Saturday night.

The former British and Commonwealth junior welterweight champion has established a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters on the domestic scene, but now he wants to push on. He will do so at welterweight.

Rafferty (26-0-1, 17 KOs) isn’t dipping his toe into the 147-pound waters against a handpicked opponent. He will take on Ekow Essuman (22-2, 8 KOs) in a 12-round bout.

The fight will take place on the undercard of Fabio Wardley’s WBO heavyweight title defense against Daniel Dubois.

Rafferty was a proud British champion and had been desperate to win his belt outright before moving up the levels. A layoff caused by an injury, a lack of quality domestic opposition and his growing body meant that he had to finally vacate his title and chase new goals.

His fight with Essuman – a respected, tough and ambitious veteran – will give the 30-year-old Shaw native an immediate gauge of where he will fit in at welterweight.

“This is a massive fight at 147. It’s not just a step up to 147 and then a big fight. It’s a big fight in itself,” Rafferty told The Ring. “What do you want after winning a British title? You want a world title or something bigger than a British title. This fight helps that. It establishes me at 147 and it pushes me closer towards the big goal that I want.”

Fighters around the world struggle to make weight, but they use every win to convince themselves that the struggles and hardships that they put themselves through are worth it and that they can go to the well one more time. Miraculously, as soon as they move up and allow their bodies a little more breathing room, they begin to feel and perform better.
Rafferty is no different.

So far, his all-action, relentless style has earned him plenty of respect on the British scene. Fighting on the undercard of a heavyweight title fight attracts a whole new audience.

DAZN will stream Wardley versus Dubois as a main event from Co-op Live Arena.

Subscribers to DAZN’s Ultimate plan, which costs $44.99 per month in the United States and £24.99 in the UK, can watch the card for no additional charge. It is also available via pay-per-view for non-subscribers ($59.99 in the U.S.; £24.99 in the UK).
Rafferty can’t wait to show people around the world what he is capable of at 147 pounds.

“They're going to say, “Wow, that Jack Rafferty is a good fighter,” he said. “I don’t think they’ve seen the best of me yet. At 140 they’ve seen a big Jack Rafferty, but they’ll see a big, ferocious Jack Rafferty. Better, busier, harder, more skill.”

He also knows that Essuman will try to match him step for step.

“Definitely. Ekow ‘The Engine’ Essuman. That’s what he built his name around,” Rafferty said. “Do I think I’ve got that? I think I’ve got that and more. Whatever he’s got, I’ve got that. Faster, stronger and sharper.”

Jack Catterall cleverly took Essuman apart and stopped him in the 11th round November 15 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Catterall is now preparing to fight Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA interim welterweight title on the undercard of Ring/IBF/WBA/WBC heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk’s upcoming fight with kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, scheduled for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Rafferty watched Catterall’s win and knows what it will take to beat Essuman. His plan of attack will be different to Catterall’s, but he is determined to make just as big a statement.

“I want to put myself in the best possible position by being the best possible me and that’s what I’ve got to do,” Rafferty said. “I’ve got to put on a better show than the other fighters have done against him. I think Harry Scarf beat him and Jack Catterall beat him. Don’t take nothing away from losing to Jack Catterall. He’s fighting for a world title next and there’s no shame in losing to a world-class fighter, but I think you’re going to see a world-class fighter out there.”