Wardley Defends WBO Title Against Dubois in Manchester
On Saturday, Britain's Fabio Wardley will make the first defence of his WBO (World Boxing Organization) heavyweight title against fellow Briton Daniel Dubois at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena. Around 23,500 fans are expected to attend. At Friday's weigh-in, Dubois tipped the scales at 18 stone (115 kg) , the heaviest of his career, while Wardley came in at 17 stone 4 pounds (110 kg) . On a circular, lit-up stage that organisers called The Cauldron, Dubois told Wardley he would put him to sleep. Both men have knocked out about 95 percent of their defeated opponents.
The two fighters arrive in Manchester from very different backgrounds. Wardley began boxing in white-collar gyms with little amateur experience and has often relied on heavy late punches to rescue tough fights, including a first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke and an 11th-round stoppage of Joseph Parker. Dubois has lost three times— once to Joe Joyce and twice to Oleksandr Usyk— but knocked out Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September 2024 in front of a record 96,000 fans. After splitting with trainer Don Charles, Dubois rejoined him in January at Farm Gym in Hertfordshire.
The stakes go beyond a single belt. Wardley is openly calling for a unification fight with reigning champion Usyk, while another defeat could be a serious blow to the introspective Dubois, who has long lived under the influence of his father, Stan. Saturday's result will reshape the British heavyweight scene in a year already filled with talk of the long-awaited Tyson Fury– Anthony Joshua showdown. Whichever fighter wins, the all-British contest promises a night full of risk for both men.
