Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley: Carl Froch makes his pick

On October 17 at the 02 Arena in London, Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 headlines a Queensberry Promotions fight card, live on DAZN. Dubois’ WBO heavyweight title will be on the line, which he won against Wardley in their first fight. As we approach fight night, Carl Froch has made his pick for this intriguing rematch.

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley set for October 17 rematch

Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) has suffered plenty of criticism during his career, with defeats against Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk. Before losing the rematch to Usyk, “Dynamite” won three consecutive fights against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua. After losing to Usyk, Dubois beat Wardley in their memorable first fight.

Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) enjoyed a memorable run in the heavyweight division, beating Frazer Clarke, Justis Huni, and Joseph Parker. His power was the differentiator in all three bouts. After the win over Parker, Wardley was promoted to the full WBO heavyweight champion, following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate.

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley: Carl Froch breaks it down

Looking ahead to Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2, Froch spoke on his Froch on Fighting YouTube channel, where he revealed his pick for the fight:

“When I look at Fabio Wardley, he took a lot of damage in that [first] fight, and Daniel Dubois actually finished strong, stood proud and was full of energy,” said Froch.

“In the rematch, I just think Daniel Dubois’ got an extra 10% over Wardley, and I think that’ll be enough.  

“So Fabio Wardley, unfortunately, I don’t think will get this job done and he’ll probably get stopped again. Daniel Dubois’ going to be coming into this fight really confident,” added Froch.

The Big Fight Weekend verdict: Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley

The first fight was an all-out war, with Wardley scoring two early knockdowns before Dubois readjusted and bossed much of the remaining rounds, before the fight was stopped in the eleventh round.

Looking ahead to the rematch, Wardley needs to pick his moments more effectively and not look for the knockout punch every time he throws. The Ipswich fighter showed unbelievable bravery and kept coming forward, and that should be applauded. The adjustments from Dubois after the early knockdowns were impressive, and he worked behind his jab impressively. 

It’s only been a few months since their first fight, and it’s hard to envisage that Wardley has completely recovered. He carries the power, but Dubois will be full of confidence, and we are backing “Dynamite” to get his hand raised again. 

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 full fight card

• Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2, 12 rounds, for Dubois’ WBO heavyweight title
• Bakhodir Jalolov vs Solomon Dacres, 10 rounds, heavyweights
• Louie O’Doherty vs Michael Gomez Jr., 12 rounds, for O’Doherty’s British and Commonwealth lightweight titles
• Tony Curtis vs Kerim Agius, 8 rounds, super flyweights
• Manny Safari vs Jake Pollard, 4 rounds, super bantamweights

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for coverage of Dubois vs Wardley 2, including results and video highlights, and post-fight analysis.

Featured Image Credit:

Queensberry, Leigh Dawney