Daniel Dubois believes he has Fabio Wardley figured out after surviving two knockdowns and stopping him in the 11th round. That confidence makes sense, but Dubois’s previous fights have also supplied Wardley with the pieces required to construct a different attack for their October 17 rematch.
“I’ll finish it quicker this time,” Dubois told The Ring during a DAZN Face Off. “I’m a better fighter, improved fighter. I’m gonna school him again; that experience and amateur background that you can’t buy, that’s what I’ve got on my side. Even without that, I’ve got his number. This time around, it’s going to be more clinical.”
Dubois scoring an early knockout is a real possibility, but it relies on Wardley making the exact tactical blunders Dubois is preparing for.
If Wardley walks out on October 17 throwing the same wide overhand rights from the opening bell, Dubois will likely time him inside four or five rounds.
Kevin Lerena caught Dubois with a southpaw angle and natural southpaw leverage that Wardley simply cannot replicate from an orthodox stance. Oleksandr Usyk, on the other hand, twice defeated Dubois with elite feints and small adjustments in distance. Those skills take decades to master. Wardley cannot suddenly transform into an agile boxer-puncher overnight. Fighting cautiously against Dubois would be playing into his hands.
Dubois has the superior jab, tighter fundamentals, and heavier straight punches. Trying to outbox Dubois at mid-range without tune-ups to test those changes will likely leave Wardley hesitant.
Wardley’s practical application of the blueprint from watching Dubois’ fights against Usyk and Lerena has to be simple and aggressive, not complex. He does not need to box like Usyk. He only needs to borrow the trickery: feint the overhand right to freeze Dubois’s gloves, step slightly off-line, and rip the left hook or uppercut. If he tries to overhaul his entire style in one camp, Dubois will time him and walk him down even faster than he did in May.
