Daniel Dubois is on the road to Hall of Fame after Fabio Wardley epic says Frank Warren

In a post on Instagram, promoter Frank Warren labelled it “One of the best fights I’ve ever promoted”.

He was referring to Saturday’s fight for the ages between WBO world heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.

Taking place at Manchester’s Co-op Live, Wardley and Dubois produced a slugfest, and it was one which will be remembered for years to come.

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Wardley and Dubois produce heavyweight epic in Manchester 

Watch the highlights below

 

 

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It feels like there is a hangover from Dubois’ eleventh round stoppage, I certainly am yet to fully comprehend what I witnessed yards away from ringside.

As the dust slowly settles on an unforgettable fight night, Warren was still in awe of what he witnessed.

“It was a spectacle. I’m really surprised how much the pair of them had to dig deep. They didn't leave anything outside the ring. Everything was in that ring, everything,” Warren told DAZN News.

“It was a punishing fight for both of them, but they showed tremendous character and bravery.”

Dubois’ jab was key in Wardley win says Warren

Wardley-Dubois was a genuine 50-50 fight.

Both men had serious knockout power, and the fight would ultimately be decided by who could make their power count, and in the end, it was Dubois.

There was a scare for ‘Dynamite’ in rounds one and three after being knocked down by Wardley, but Dubois did not panic and stuck to the gameplan devised by his team, led by trainer Don Charles.

Dubois’ was by far the heavier puncher, his jab alone could cause serious problems, and in Warren’s view this was the deciding factor in this brutal encounter.

“Normally when a fighter gets caught in the first round, especially on the top of the head, he gets disorientated, but he knew how to recover.

“When you think of the power which we've seen in the past from Fabio, he's poleaxed fighters. Dubois did well to get up, get his composure back and get through the round.

“They both took big punches, the shots that Fabio took throughout the fight were unbelievable. But the key to the fight was Daniel's jab at the end of the day.”

Dubois is on the road to Hall of Fame, just like Anthony Joshua

Dubois’ performance answered many questions when it came to his grit, determination and heart.

But what is going under the radar is Dubois' road to becoming a two-time world champion.

Since 2023, Dubois has fought a generational great in Oleksandr Usyk twice, and beat Jarrell Miller, along with Olympic medallists Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.

The win against Joshua was a destructive display, knocking down the former world champion four times before the contest came to an end in the fifth.

• Read next | Frank Warren reveals when Daniel Dubois will fight next, and if it will be against Fabio Wardley

With talk of Joshua being a certainty for boxing’s Hall of Fame, there is a strong case that Dubois should be in a similar situation.

Not only is he a two-time world champion at the age of 28, he also made easy work of ‘AJ’ in front of a packed Wembley Stadium and is yet to reach his peak.

“AJ is a two-time world champion and when it comes to the Hall of Fame, he should be there. But look what Daniel did to him. Was it four or five times had him on the floor?,” Warren said.

“Nobody's done that to him. Nobody's done beating him like that.

“If he's in the Hall of Fame, two-time world champion Daniel Dubois is going to go there. And remember, his career is not over yet. He's still a young man.”

Allen vs. Hrgovic only on DAZN this Saturday

Dave Allen is back in Doncaster to face Filip Hrgovic in a heavyweight showdown this Saturday, May 16. Watch exclusively on DAZN with your subscription. Monthly and annual options available.

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