Fabio Wardley issues savage promise before Daniel Dubois defence

Fabio Wardley has promised to make Daniel Dubois quit in their WBO heavyweight title fight, stating he will force his rival to "capitulate".

The pair met for a launch conference in London on Wednesday, ahead of their impending clash at Manchester's Co-op Live on May 9.

In a lively event where both men let their entourages do plenty of talking, Dubois snubbed Wardley's fist-bump at the climactic face-off.

Speaking on DAZN afterwards, the champion vowed to force his opponent out, pointing to losses against Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk.

"I think, however it goes, I wholeheartedly believe I make him capitulate," he said. "I make him give up, take a knee, throw the towel in.

"One way or another, I can guarantee I will put enough pressure on him, make it as uncomfortable as possible, to bring that out of him.

"That's not to say he hasn't proven grit in other fights and stuff. But [...] you've seen it in the Joyce fight, you've seen it in the Usyk fight.

"When things get uncomfortable, and they don't go his way, he runs out of ideas. he doesn't know what to do. So that is the objective."

Dubois, a former IBF champion with an impressive resume, has only lost three bouts in his professional career, albeit with key caveats.

He was accused by critics of taking a knee during his defeat to Joyce and struggled to handle Usyk, particularly in their second encounter.

Wardley promises stoppage against new kind of foe

DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel

Fabio Wardley was in an effusive mood this week in London, but behind the star's confidence, he knows he will need to improve too.

Daniel Dubois may not be the toughest opponent he has faced yet - Joseph Parker was another former world champion after all.

But the younger man has youth on his side and a seasoned head already, having shared the ring with some of the sport's greats.

Wardley has never been a man dedicated to the overt psychological game, but his needle here suggests he knows his foe's soft spots.

His promise of another stoppage will be well-founded, too. But the star will surely need to survive a major assault on his chin along the way.

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