Dubois‑Wardley Rematch Set for London, Experts Predict a Dubois Victory
Five months after their dramatic showdown in Manchester, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley will meet again at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday. The 29‑year‑old Dubois, who claimed the WBO heavyweight title by stopping Wardley in the 11th round despite being knocked down twice, is now making his first defence. Wardley, 31, suffered his first professional loss in that bout and promptly exercised his rematch clause, hoping to regain the championship. With a combined 43 victories and 41 knockouts, the pair promise another high‑octane encounter.
BBC Sport gathered opinions from a range of boxing insiders to gauge the likely outcome.
Barry Jones, former super‑featherweight world champion, said, “It’s very hard to pick against the winner of the first fight when there’s a rematch. Dubois was so composed, even after being knocked down twice. Wardley can knock out anyone at any time, that’s what took him from no experience on the white‑collar scene to a world champion. You know what you will get with him.” He added, “Dubois’s issue has never been power, strength or bravery. It’s when he has to think and can’t find an answer and the panic occurs. If you whack him with big shots, he knows he can whack you back and hurt you.” Jones believes Dubois will likely repeat his victory, perhaps even earlier, predicting a finish inside five rounds.
Ade Oladipo, DAZN presenter, favoured Dubois, noting, “Repeat or revenge? I guess you have to go for repeat. Wardley had his moments in the first fight but Dubois was so dominant. Aside from the two knockdowns, Dubois was bullish, strong and aggressive. Getting up from those two knockdowns showed a lot as well.” He praised Dubois as the top heavyweight, with Usyk isolated on his own, and said, “If I had to put money on someone, I’m putting all my chips on Dubois getting the stoppage again.”
British heavyweight Johnny Fisher also backed Dubois, saying, “It’s a great fight. Credit to Wardley for going back in there after taking some serious, serious damage and still standing – unbelievable tenacity from the man. And he can hurt Dubois – we saw that in the first minute or so of the fight. For me, though, the smart money would be on another Dubois victory.”
Richard Riakporhe, British heavyweight champion, offered a different view, giving Wardley a slight edge. “It’s a fascinating fight. Dubois has tremendous power and is dangerous at any moment, but I slightly favour Wardley. I think his resilience, work rate and ability to find a way through tough moments could make the difference. I’d give Wardley a 60‑40 edge, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way.”
Liam Gough, boxing content creator and host of BBC Sounds’ Punch Perfect, expects Dubois to dominate again. “I think Daniel Dubois will come into this fight with enormous confidence, particularly after the way he came through two early knockdowns and went on to dominate thereafter. I struggle to see what Fabio Wardley can do differently this time to change the outcome.” He predicts an early finish, saying, “Dubois will look to impose himself immediately, put Wardley under pressure and take control of the fight early. This could be explosive from the very first exchange, so don’t blink – because I don’t think this one is going to last very long.”
Former two‑weight world champion Carl Frampton also sees a repeat, possibly earlier. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful to Wardley but when you’re involved in those types of fights and are on the end of a beating like he was, sometimes you’re not the same when you come back. His nose doesn’t look like it’s recovered. The only way for Wardley to win is to throw the kitchen sink at Dubois for the first three or four rounds. That gives him a chance. But the longer it goes on, Dubois’s jab will do damage and Wardley’s nose will be damaged again.” Frampton forecasts a Dubois win between rounds seven and ten.
Emily Eubank, another Punch Perfect host, admitted she would love a Wardley triumph to set up a trilogy, but she believes the odds favour Dubois. “My head says Daniel will be too confident and too calculated this time around for Fabio to pose much of a threat, and he’ll get taken out.”
Overall, the consensus among the consulted experts leans heavily toward Dubois retaining his title, with only a few giving Wardley a marginal advantage. The rematch promises to be another memorable chapter in what has already become a compelling heavyweight rivalry.