DANIEL DUBOIS says Fabio Wardley’s Rocky-style story from boxing obscurity to the heavyweight title has been LUCKY.
Wardley first stepped into the ring aged 20 for a white collar bout in 2016 before
Wardley is now the WBO heavyweight world champion Credit: Getty
So Derek Chisora said his road to becoming a world champ less than ten years later is nothing short of a
But Dubois – who challenges for Wardley’s WBO belt on May 9 live on DAZN PPV – suggested the former recruitment salesman has fluked it.
He said in their face-to-face : “He’s been lucky up until now and I need to take his 0.
“He hasn’t faced a fighter like me, full credit to him though. He’s come through everything that’s been put in front of him and yeah, now’s my time.
“I feel like I’ve been through what I needed to. Been beat up, I had scars and all that. I’m experienced and I’m ready to go.”
Wardley progressed through the small hall circuit before getting his shot at the big time – knocking out opponents on his ruthless rise.
He stunned Joseph Parker in October 2025 to win the WBO interim belt with a sensational 11th-round stoppage.
And after vacated the strap – Wardley was elevated to full championship status – something he argues has nothing to do with luck.
The Home of Boxing in 2026
There's a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown against fellow Brit .
will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford, while Dave Allen will also be looking to get back to winning ways against Filip Hrgovic.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of , Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
May
- Sat 2 – Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani – Undisputed super-bantamweight title – TBC
- Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
- Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN PPV
- Sat 16 – Dave Allen vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN
- Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN
June
- Sat 6 – Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello – WBC super lightweight title – DAZN
- Sat 13 – Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall – DAZN
- Sat 20 – Ryan Garner vs Michael Magnesi – DAZN
- Sat 27 – Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis – DAZN
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He said: “I think my journey, if anything, has been the opposite of lucky.
“I think I’ve been thrown in the deep end or at least thrown myself in the deep end a number of times in terms of challenging for bigger names, bigger opponents, pushing myself.
“Not to keep harping back to it, but everyone said, ‘Oh look, he’s not that good, he’s not gonna go that far,’ all the rest of it.
“It’s no one else forcing me into these situations, it’s me picking them and going, ‘No, I want this person, I want this person.’
“I want Daniel, I want Joseph Parker, I want the guys, like, there’s no luck about it. It’s pure hard work and commitment to the sport.”
Dubois has big wins to his name too, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and on his way to becoming IBF champ.
But losses to Joe Joyce and Usyk twice have left question marks over Dubois’ mental strength in the ring.
And Wardley, 31, said: “In some fights he has shown that.
“He has shied away from the challenge in some situations, yeah. But in others, again, it’s swings and roundabouts with him.
“Sometimes you don’t know what you’re gonna get because in other fights, he has proven it, bit down like Hrgovic for example and got stuck into that where it was a back and forth fight.
“He was getting tagged a few times and he got fully stuck into that. And then there’s been other occasions where he hasn’t done.
“So I think in that scenario it depends on Daniel and what Daniel turns up on the night and how he feels about the situation and if he feels he can climb his way back or not.
“And I think sometimes if he’s in a situation where he doesn’t feel like he can, maybe those inner demons get to him a bit and he just doesn’t want it.”
Dubois, 28, acknowledged his past victories but said: “It’s not even just them wins, it’s my pedigree and what I’ve done in the sport, what we’ve done, what training we’ve done and just what’s inside of me.
“I need to bring it out and show what I’m capable of and this is the world title, so you know I’m gonna bring everything I’ve got.”
Wardley and Dubois pose alongside promoter Frank Warren Credit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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