Promoter Frank Warren has compared this weekend's heavyweight clash between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois to the iconic 1985 war between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, insisting the pair are set to deliver one of the great modern British heavyweight fights.
Dubois and Wardley on Collision Course
Dubois returns to the ring looking to rebuild momentum after his devastating knockout victory over Anthony Joshua was followed by another defeat to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Wardley, meanwhile, enters the contest unbeaten and with growing momentum after his rapid rise through the division, most recently beating Joseph Parker.
Press Conference Flashpoint
Thursday's press conference delivered the first real flashpoint of the week in Manchester, as Dubois confronted Wardley over comments he made in a pre-fight interview. During a light-hearted social media segment for DAZN, Wardley was asked what today's heavyweight boxers would be doing if they weren't fighters. When Dubois' name came up, Wardley joked that he would be a bin man.
Dubois clearly hadn't forgotten the remark, bringing it up during the press conference and saying: 'Fabio, I heard you called me the dustman, and I'm gonna collect the trash, boy. I am gonna collect the trash. You don't disrespect me. I am gonna put it right in the ring.' Wardley responded: 'I didn't call you a dustman. Someone asked me what you might have as a job, and I said, maybe a bin man. There was nothing negative with that. Don't let other people get in your head and tell you what it comes across.'
Dubois cut him off and said: 'I heard what you said.' To which Wardley snapped back: 'You clearly didn't hear what I said because I didn't call you a dustman. Other people talk to you, get in your head, tell you what to say. I just got asked what job you might have and I said bin man. I didn't say it was a bad job.' Dubois finished the exchange by saying: 'I don't care what you say. I am going to burst your bubble. I'm going to collect that trash on fight night. You will see.'
Warren Predicts Hagler-Hearns Style War
Meanwhile, promoter Frank Warren believes the styles of both men will guarantee fireworks on Saturday. 'I think it's going to be the British equivalent of Hagler-Hearns,' Warren told Daily Mail Sport. 'That fight was only three rounds [Hagler won on TKO] but they never took a backward step. They could have fought in a phone box. They just stood in front of each other throwing bombs and I think this fight has got that same feel to it.'
Dubois heads into the bout after splitting briefly with long-time trainer Don Charles following the Usyk loss before returning to his old camp, having also worked with trainer Tony Sims during the separation. Warren insisted the 28-year-old remains one of the leading heavyweights in the world despite the setback against Usyk.
'Daniel was on a real run before the Usyk fight,' Warren said. 'He'd stopped around five top-10 ranked fighters and then lost to a man many consider the best heavyweight of his generation. There were things going on behind the scenes before that fight which were well publicised, like the party, but I'm not making excuses. He lost to a great fighter. This is the fight that can put him right back on track and I think we'll see the best version of him.'
On Dubois reuniting with Charles, Warren added: 'Maybe Daniel thought another situation would work better for him, maybe he thought the grass was greener, but he's come back and that tells you a lot. Don is an excellent trainer and they had a really successful run together before. I'm sure that partnership will benefit him on the night.'
Wardley's Cinderella Story
Warren also warned against overlooking Wardley, who he described as one of boxing's great recent success stories. 'Fabio is unbelievable really, he's like a Cinderella story,' Warren said. 'Fabio didn't have any amateur boxing background whatsoever. He had a couple of white collar fights and now he is the champion of the world.'
'What makes this fight so special is that usually in these big heavyweight fights one man is on the way up and the other is slightly past his best. That's not the case here. These are two fighters right at their peak.'
Warren's Career Highlights
The veteran promoter, who has overseen some of British boxing's biggest nights, believes the contest deserves to be mentioned alongside the finest events of his career. Warren pointed to Tyson Fury's trilogy with Deontay Wilder, Frank Bruno winning a world title against Oliver McCall, Joe Calzaghe defeating Jeff Lacy and Ricky Hatton's famous upset of Kostya Tszyu among the standout nights of his career.
'I'm so old I just missed out on promoting David vs Goliath! In all seriousness, I've been lucky enough to promote some incredible fights over the years and this one is right up there with them,' Warren said. 'The whole card is stacked with quality as well.'
Future Prospects
The winner could move into contention for another shot at Usyk, although Warren admitted no talks have yet taken place over a future undisputed title bout. 'That's the fight we'd want,' he said. 'If Fabio wins, then Usyk has to look at him because he's unbeaten. If Daniel wins, would he want a third fight with Usyk? I think he probably would. The heavyweight division is absolutely flying at the moment and these are the fights people want to see.'
Warren also revealed that Fury is expected to return later this year and said he hopes the long-awaited showdown with Joshua could happen in late October or early November.
