Fabio Wardley is prepared to enter the 'dark place' once again this weekend, asserting he will not back down from Daniel Dubois' formidable punching power. Wardley, the WBO heavyweight champion, will make his first title defence against former two-time world champion Dubois at Manchester's Co-op Live on Saturday night.
Choosing the Toughest Path
Rather than selecting an easy opponent for his maiden title defence, Wardley deliberately chose Dubois, who has 21 stoppages in his 22 victories. Dubois was defeated by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk last year but previously knocked out Anthony Joshua in brutal fashion nearly two years ago. Wardley, equally heavy-handed, endured punishment from Justis Huni and Joseph Parker in his last two fights and is eager to engage in another firefight.
'You're not going to get one free punch off and I'm going to run away to the other side of the ring,' said Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs). 'I'm going to knuckle up, head down, and come at you. It sounds a bit mental, but I like the dark place. I like checking myself in there every now and then to double-check that I've still got it. You can go through one big, hard fight and think you have it, but it's not constant. It's like a muscle—you have to flex it every now and then. You've just got to double-check that you've still got it in the locker. Seemingly, I keep doing it back-to-back-to-back. It's not something I'm backing away from; I'm going in there all guns blazing.'
Wardley's Remarkable Rise
Wardley's journey from white-collar boxing shows to world champion has been extraordinary. After stunning Joseph Parker last October to claim the WBO interim belt, he was upgraded to full champion when Usyk vacated the title the following month. Consistently seeking the toughest challenges and defying the odds has led to claims he has no fear of losing, but the 31-year-old insists he is driven by the thrill of victory.
'It's not the fear of losing; it's the thrill of winning,' he added. 'That's what eggs me on the most. I'm not scared to lose, I'm not scared to put it all on the line, and I'm not scared to go out on my shield. It is the thrill of winning—knowing what comes after or what comes next. It's just seeing how far I can push myself and how far I can go.'
