BoxRec

It's just hilarious that it was Howard Foster who reffed that first fight and allowed that.

Weigh in

Weights done

Daniel Dubois - 253.9 lbs
Fabio Wardley- 248.3 lbs

It’s interesting to see Wardley and Dubois competing at their career-heaviest weights (again!) this weekend.

For sure, a heavyweight’s optimal fighting weight should be determined solely by performance, not by the number on the scales.

But these guys (barring a few exceptions) generally seem to get slightly heavier every time they compete.

And as far as I’m concerned, there is no sporting justification for any heavyweight boxer to continually gain weight throughout their career purely for the sake of becoming “bigger”, particularly if it compromises speed, stamina, and mobility.

I can’t think of any active, regularly competing heavyweight boxer who progressively got better the heavier they became.

Eolaithe wrote: ↑16 Oct 2026, 15:00 It’s interesting to see Wardley and Dubois competing at their career-heaviest weights (again!) this weekend.

For sure, a heavyweight’s optimal fighting weight should be determined solely by performance, not by the number on the scales.

But these guys (barring a few exceptions) generally seem to get slightly heavier every time they compete.

And as far as I’m concerned, there is no sporting justification for any heavyweight boxer to continually gain weight throughout their career purely for the sake of becoming “bigger”, particularly if it compromises speed, stamina, and mobility.

I can’t think of any active, regularly competing heavyweight boxer who progressively got better the heavier they became.

Thanks ChatGPT

Both at their career heaviest. Dubois not by much, Wardley by about 5 lbs.

Could be nothing, or could it be an indication that Wardley is preparing to throw the absolute kitchen sink at Dubois early? That intelligence I keep reading about, must be telling Fabio that he can’t outlast Dubois in a war so has to get the job done in 4-5 rounds max.

Not so sure Wardley can change anything , reason being to change things you need a teacher who's going to teach , can Davidson teach , answer for me is NO ,,
Obviously , he's got so many good boxers going to him that even myself a big critic of his will have to admit he's doing something right I'm not a new critic either has ,most on here know i've been critical since day dot , So i must admit there must be something and personaly i think its the boxercise Ben , the boxers think his routines are good , probably are the fitness routines the easy but useless padwork he does all make a boxer feel good about themselves , , but he can't teach anything ,

Apparantly , he has spent a lot of time with AJ so how come when AJ throws one punch he always drops the other hand ,

Watched spencer on u tube in an interview and he was going on about how all Davidsons fighters go to the left with a jab and into the right hand , , well its not just Davidsons , most do it , , What he did say though resonates with me , , couple years ago a lad came to me and asked me if i could work with him foR a big fight he had coming up , well not a fight od this magnitude obviously for a big fight for him and a belt on the line , i said yep , first night he came he asked what do you want me to do , i said , go jab the leather of that heavy bag , , he did i said STOP , , your wrong i said , he looked at me and obviously asked why , i said to him , what 9 times out of 10 is someones biggest punch , , he answered there right hand , i simply asked well when you jab WHY ARE you moving into it ,

MOVE AWAY TO YOUR RIGHT , occasionaly move to your legft but mainly MOVE TO YOUR RIGHT , he had moved to his left forever , and found it difficult to move to his right , after 3 -4 months of me constantly telling him off it came natural , and he said i've never ever been taught that , my answer was , my first coach who taught me basics , taught me that on the first night , when he fought for the title he was going for , he asked what do you want me to do , my answer was simple , he's only got a jab and right hand so move to your right pick the angle and attack its not rocket science , then occasionaly move to your left entice the right hand slip and rip to the body , , slip his jab right hand over top , simple and basic, , these are things i was taught from the age of 10-11 , by teachers , ex pro's with a love of the sport and years and years and years of knoledge ,

There also basic , boxing moves which when i watch ameteurs and pro's am amazed by how many cannott simply move to the right ,

Spencers anology was spot on , and this is why UNLESS Wardley can catch him with a big one a hail mary shot DD will win and probably easier ,

. When you have a massive puncher boxing a higher skilled opponent , the win will usually come from the corner and the tactics involved , . Will davidson have the knoledge on how Wardley should approach this fighht , will he have taught him , little tricks to set up his punches , NOPE I HIGHLY DOUBT IT beacause he does'nt know them ,

Will Don Charles have trained and TAUGHT DD to expect and combat the tricks that should be coming , Ithoink he would ,

Don Charles himself on an interview hit the nailon the head , he said , Ben is a good trainer , but he needs an old experienced guy with him to lead the corner , something i agree with , and hence my initial dislike of the guy not personaly obvioulsy only an idiot dislikes someone they don't know , but my dislike off him has a boxing trainer is , the arrogance to think he can teach lads and boxers of this level from watching u tube videos and NOT SPENDING YEARRS HAS AN UNDERSTUDY TO GOOD TRAINERS .

This fight is won and lost in the corner , and UNLESS Wardley lands a hail mary which is possible , DON CHARLES will win this one

coneye wrote: ↑16 Oct 2026, 17:17There also basic , boxing moves which when i watch ameteurs and pro's am amazed by how many cannott simply move to the right

Younger ams should always be taught by the book, but taking it wholesale to the pros can nullify innate talents.

It's often the 'wrong' things elites do that create openings for them. Moving to your left (both orthodox) while jabbing can be a lure, so long as it's an educated hunch to afford the risk*. The trick has always been to sell a dipped toe as a shoved foot. Breaking these stalemates on account of boxing's tighter ruleset is why I prefer it to MMA.

*Could also be stylistic, like how a lot of Mexicans seem to like trying to square opponents and coil more naturally into position for that.

Grilling Machine wrote: ↑16 Oct 2026, 17:52

coneye wrote: ↑16 Oct 2026, 17:17There also basic , boxing moves which when i watch ameteurs and pro's am amazed by how many cannott simply move to the right

Younger ams should always be taught by the book, but taking it wholesale to the pros can nullify innate talents.

It's often the 'wrong' things elites do that create openings for them. Moving to your left (both orthodox) while jabbing can be a lure, so long as it's an educated hunch to afford the risk*. The trick has always been to sell a dipped toe as a shoved foot. Breaking these stalemates on account of boxing's tighter ruleset is why I prefer it to MMA.

*Could also be stylistic, like how a lot of Mexicans seem to like trying to square opponents and coil more naturally into position for that.

kIDS who are ameteurs , should be taught the correct stance ,movement , punches correctly from day one , hence they can do it naturaly, what style varies from coach to coach , but basics should always be just that basics , and mastered ,, go to your local ameteur shows and watch just how many , orthodox boxers , CANNOT move and throw going to the right ,

You may be suprised how many , , moving to the left with a jab is , natural for an orthodox , so this is why you have trainers / teachers , who teach you

I think where we might differ on this is encouraging kids with enough talent to deviate from the basics if they have strengths that benefit doing so. Like how Haye was able to get away with things you'd never teach because he was so athletic.

More than once in the 90s I saw a really well-schooled kid blown up by an unorthodox style. Imagine running into Naz as a lad! Who went on to confound pros. I'm not sure anybody, Ingle or no, taught him all that much. Arguably to his detriment when he finally met Barrera, loss of his prime aside.

Lots of examples on both sides: for every Naz-Barrera there's a Calzaghe-Woodhall. Saunders was moving away from Canelo's righthand when his preemptive ducking became predictable and he ate the uppercut that finished him. I just think you can sometimes concentrate so hard on not doing anything wrong you don't do much right.

Wardley's kind of the opposite! Dubois should win again, but you never know. Joyce left a blueprint for a man of similar attributes. Keep the pressure on with all the danger that entails, but don't look for the knockout. I bet Joyce didn't realise the shots he stopped Dubois and Parker with were fight-enders when he threw them.

The tragedy of Wardley is that his brain is sharper than his ability to carry his thoughts out.

I genuinely fear for him tonight.

A very hard and brave man is Fabio. I think he going to chuck everything at DDD in the first 4 rounds and hope one of his bombs detonates.

I’ve gone Dubois in rounds 1-6.

I think the turnaround is too soon.

I don’t think Wardley should be back in with Dubois this year, he can give all the interviews he wants saying ‘it wasn’t that bad’ but it was. I said at the end of round 6 that Wardley was done. Them next 4 & a bit rounds are the sort that end careers.

I don’t blame Wardley for taking it but his training team & whoever his manager is should be advising against it.

Dubois had the worst possible start & still won every round that he didn’t get knocked down in & he didn’t just win them he dominated several of them. You could even chuck a couple of 10-8’s in there they were that one sided.

The argument seems to be that Wardley should start faster & try & take Dubois out early but that’s exactly what he did last time & it didn’t work.

I think there’s more room for Dubois to improve from the first fight than Wardley & I don’t think his corner will be as brave next time. The cuts going to open up & I’d imagine we’ll see a stoppage between 4 & 6. Wardley gets his pay day & gets out hopefully without too much damage.

a force wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:20 I’ve gone Dubois in rounds 1-6.

I think the turnaround is too soon.

I don’t think Wardley should be back in with Dubois this year, he can give all the interviews he wants saying ‘it wasn’t that bad’ but it was. I said at the end of round 6 that Wardley was done. Them next 4 & a bit rounds are the sort that end careers.

I don’t blame Wardley for taking it but his training team & whoever his manager is should be advising against it.

Dubois had the worst possible start & still won every round that he didn’t get knocked down in & he didn’t just win them he dominated several of them. You could even chuck a couple of 10-8’s in there they were that one sided.

The argument seems to be that Wardley should start faster & try & take Dubois out early but that’s exactly what he did last time & it didn’t work.

I think there’s more room for Dubois to improve from the first fight than Wardley & I don’t think his corner will be as brave next time. The cuts going to open up & I’d imagine we’ll see a stoppage between 4 & 6. Wardley gets his pay day & gets out hopefully without too much damage.

I understand the point that this was a hell of a beating he took, and he certainly can't afford another one, but considering how badly he struggled with Huni and Parker prior to Dubois I'd imagine his team is probably scared that if they didn't fight the immediate rematch with Dubois he may well lose in an upset against a lesser opponent as well. So if that's the case, may as well go for the biggest money bout possible while the opportunity is still there.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:26

a force wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:20 I’ve gone Dubois in rounds 1-6.

I think the turnaround is too soon.

I don’t think Wardley should be back in with Dubois this year, he can give all the interviews he wants saying ‘it wasn’t that bad’ but it was. I said at the end of round 6 that Wardley was done. Them next 4 & a bit rounds are the sort that end careers.

I don’t blame Wardley for taking it but his training team & whoever his manager is should be advising against it.

Dubois had the worst possible start & still won every round that he didn’t get knocked down in & he didn’t just win them he dominated several of them. You could even chuck a couple of 10-8’s in there they were that one sided.

The argument seems to be that Wardley should start faster & try & take Dubois out early but that’s exactly what he did last time & it didn’t work.

I think there’s more room for Dubois to improve from the first fight than Wardley & I don’t think his corner will be as brave next time. The cuts going to open up & I’d imagine we’ll see a stoppage between 4 & 6. Wardley gets his pay day & gets out hopefully without too much damage.

I understand the point that this was a hell of a beating he took, and he certainly can't afford another one, but considering how badly he struggled with Huni and Parker prior to Dubois I'd imagine his team is probably scared that if they didn't fight the immediate rematch with Dubois he may well lose in an upset against a lesser opponent as well. So if that's the case, may as well go for the biggest money bout possible while the opportunity is still there.

That’s a good point. When you consider Gorman busted him up & Clarke did a lot of damage to him in the first fight they might believe they need to take the big paydays whilst they’re there

Whatever happens I think we’re all agreed this is going to be a great fight. Not one to nip for a wee during. Which is a challenge with my prostate I might have to cut my water in the run up

God knows how they manage their nerves I’ll be taking a Kalms and I’m only watching it

Anyone on here who is or was a pro, how do you resist the urge to leg it beforehand. I was always a bag of nerves before comps in my crap ‘sport’ and that didn’t involve getting whacked

I will say this too about the rematch. If it looks like it's beginning to go the same way again. I would hope someone in Wardley's corner calls a halt to it much sooner this time. Give Wardley every chance, but if it starts to become another mugging get him outta there.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:53 I will say this too about the rematch. If it looks like it's beginning to go the same way again. I would hope someone in Wardley's corner calls a halt to it much sooner this time. Give Wardley every chance, but if it starts to become another mugging get him outta there.

Hard tho isn’t it as he’s won late on before hasn’t he

I would say Dubois in 7 rounds. He was getting to Wardley with the left counter very easily before Wardley had even extended his right hand, due to Wardley telegraphing his punches. Once they settled into the fight, this happened almost every time. I take Wardleys good chin into account when I say 7 rounds. I expect him to be shipping heavy right hands from the first bell.

SeanBrennan wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:54

gilgamesh wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 04:53 I will say this too about the rematch. If it looks like it's beginning to go the same way again. I would hope someone in Wardley's corner calls a halt to it much sooner this time. Give Wardley every chance, but if it starts to become another mugging get him outta there.

Hard tho isn’t it as he’s won late on before hasn’t he

He has, and I'm sure that's what was on everyone's mind when they let him keep hanging in the first time (not to mention the 2 knockdowns he had scored over Dubois), but a 2nd beating like he took in the 1st fight would surely beat whatever he's got left out of him.

Honestly though Wardley seems like one of those guys that's always gonna be a Blood and Guts battle until he's just too washed up from being in so many of them to hang in them anymore.

Good point. I really hope he wins. Do you think his first white collar opponent looks back and thinks bloody hell he did well after…

1st fight was only 5 months ago

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑17 Oct 2026, 05:11 1st fight was only 5 months ago

Honestly no matter what happens with this fight. Even if it's a 1st round KO. These 2 have been the best thing in Heavyweight Boxing this year, and should be applauded for it.

I'm excited for whatever may come, and I'll be rooting like hell for Wardley to get redemption. Wardley's my dude.