Don’t blink as heavy hitters clash

Two of the biggest punchers in world boxing meet in the UK this weekend in what promises to be one of the most exciting fights of the year.

Heavyweights Fabio Wardley faces Daniel Dubois and both are convinced that they won’t need the full 12 rounds to win. Both of their knockout ratio of 95% suggests that these are not hollow predictions.

The two British heavyweights face up in Manchester on Saturday, with Wardley’s WBO title on the line.

Billed as ‘Don’t Blink’, the bout brings together two knockout artists with 40 stoppages between them. Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) is also unbeaten in 21 fights with just one draw.

Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) comes off a fifth round knockout defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last July which was the third stoppage loss of his career.

Consensus in boxing circles were that Dubois quit in his 2020 defeat to Joe Joyce, although afterwards it was revealed that Dubois suffered a broken eye socket, which could have left him with long-term damage.

Asked if he was encouraged by Dubois, 31, not rising in his second defeat to Usyk, Wardley said: “Yes it encourages me but it’s not something new either.

“We knew that before from the Joyce fight. Say it never happened in the Usyk fights, say it only happened once in the Joyce fight, I would still know it’s in him to capitulate and back out.

“It’s just more evidence on top of something I already saw there.”

Wardley said his attitude is the opposite to his next opponent’s.

The Ipswich fighter was way behind on the cards before beating Justis Huni with a right hand last summer, winning by knockout in the tenth, while he also rallied late to stop Joseph Parker in October.

“That is the contrast. If it’s not going his way, he nose dives,” Wardley, 28, said. “If it’s not going my way, I stay focused, stay on track.”