Boxing legend David Haye has declared that he cannot see Daniel Dubois' upcoming showdown with Fabio Wardley going the distance, predicting an explosive early finish when the two British heavyweights collide in Manchester on Saturday night.
High Stakes in Manchester
Wardley, who claimed the WBO interim title with an impressive 11th-round knockout victory over Joseph Parker last October, was later promoted to full champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. The Ipswich native enters the bout undefeated, carrying significant momentum.
Dubois, meanwhile, is on a redemption mission following a gruelling knockout defeat to Usyk in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium last July. That loss cost him the IBF world title, which he had won after stopping Filip Hrgovic and successfully defended with a standout performance against Anthony Joshua in September 2024.
As 'Triple D' aims to become a two-time world champion, many expect fireworks when he trades leather with Wardley. Haye, speaking exclusively to Mirror Fighting ahead of his appearance at Paddy’s Sportsbook at The Hippodrome Casino for the all-British heavyweight world title clash, offered a blunt verdict.
Haye's Verdict: Early Fireworks
“I'm expecting it to be very, very explosive, very early,” Haye said. “There's not much of a feeling out process from either men usually. Just look at the rematch with Wardley and Frazer Clarke. There was no feeling out, it was big bombs from day dot and from the very first bell. And Dubois, he doesn't like to go gently, he's not a slick jabber, mover. He's about implementing his physical tools, which is just sheer velocity, size, power, strength, and he just comes forward.”
Haye described the matchup as a perfect clash of styles. “Both very different, but both physical specimens. They seem similar in stature, similar weight, similar sort of robustness and toughness. Wardley has never lost. He hasn't tasted defeat.”
Given the ferocious knockout power both men possess, the former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion believes this is one of the best fights that can be made in the heavyweight division. He went as far as to say he does not envisage the contest going the full 12 rounds, promising the Manchester crowd a real treat on fight night.
“Both styles are very fan-friendly. No one's looking at nicking around. They're not those type of fighters. They're the fighters who fight with their heart on their sleeve and just go out guns blazing,” Haye continued. “So I think it's one of the best fights that can be made in the heavyweight division in terms of what both fighters bring to the table and both of the styles, I think are going to mesh well. It's going to be a knockout. I don't see this fight going to points. I very, very, very much doubt this fight hears the final bell. I'm really excited about it.”
How to Watch
Boxing fans can watch Wardley vs Dubois at no extra cost by signing up for DAZN Ultimate Tier, which includes 12 pay-per-view events per year and access to more than 185 fight nights annually with a single subscription.
