Wardley v Dubois is bout of uncertainty far more interesting than Fury v Joshua

Saturday’s WBO world heavyweight fight pits fascinating pair armed with knockout power against one another

Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are very different characters but, in the ring, they share a knockout ratio of 95% in the combined 42 fights they have won. The unbeaten Wardley has knocked out 19 opponents in his 20 victories while Dubois has stopped 21 of 22 vanquished rivals. It’s an impressive statistic which belies the vulnerability at the heart of each man.

Wardley, the WBO world heavyweight champion, comes from a white-collar boxing background with minimal experience as an amateur. The only blemish on his record is a draw in March 2024 with the Olympic medallist Frazer Clarke – who he then knocked out with shocking brutality in the first round seven months later. But Wardley was also comprehensively outboxed by Justice Huni last summer before rescuing himself from a shutout defeat by separating the tricky Australian from his senses in a dramatic 10th round. The 31-year-old has often looked to be in trouble against more skilful rivals before his power obliterates the gulf in experience or ringcraft.

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