{"id":524154,"date":"2026-03-09T08:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T08:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/524154\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T08:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T08:07:09","slug":"fabio-wardley-says-skill-overlooked-vs-daniel-dubois","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/524154\/","title":{"rendered":"Fabio Wardley Says Skill Overlooked Vs Daniel Dubois"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Wardley defends his title against Dubois on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, a fight that brings together two of Britain\u2019s leading heavyweights and one he believes deserves recognition as a meeting of the country\u2019s best at the weight.<\/p>\n

Many early predictions have focused on the idea that Wardley\u2019s best path to victory is dragging Dubois into a heavy exchange, yet the champion sees the fight differently and says his boxing ability has been overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually think boxing-wise I have a better skill set than he does,\u201d Wardley said to Boxing News while discussing the fight during an appearance at the BBBofC Awards. \u201cHe has very good fundamentals, but overall ability, arsenal, the whole package, I think I\u2019m the better boxer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wardley has often been viewed mainly through his power and durability, a reputation built through several dramatic fights and strong finishes that have sometimes led observers to treat his bouts as tests of toughness rather than boxing ability. That perception, he says, has followed him through most of his professional career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I am being overlooked slightly there,\u201d Wardley said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been overlooked for about 98 percent of my career. No problem. We\u2019ll keep moving and do our job on the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The champion said facing Dubois reflects the same approach he has taken during his rise in the heavyweight division. Instead of searching for easier title defenses, Wardley believes the matchup represents the strongest opponent available in Britain right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the one and two in the UK at the moment,\u201d Wardley said of himself and Dubois. \u201cThat shows the type of fights I want, especially as a champion. I want to test myself and prove myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holding a world title has added pride to the assignment, but Wardley insists the mindset heading into the ring remains unchanged. A belt may raise the pressure surrounding a fight, yet he says the task itself remains familiar.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou understand the pride that comes with the belt,\u201d Wardley said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, it\u2019s still just a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dubois enters the contest attempting to rebound after suffering a knockout defeat in his previous outing, a result that changed his immediate standing in the heavyweight race. Despite that setback, Wardley expects a difficult challenge from a fighter known for his punching power and physical strength.<\/p>\n

Wardley believes opinions about the fight may change once the action begins. After spending most of his career hearing predictions that underestimate his boxing ability, he sees little reason to treat this moment any differently.<\/p>\n

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist who has covered the sport since 2014, providing ringside reporting and technical analysis of major bouts. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments, and the details that shape high-level competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wardley defends his title against Dubois on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, a fight…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524155,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,48,82],"class_list":["post-524154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}