Tyson Fury, while he prepares for an August 1 tune-up bout ahead of a projected showdown with Anthony Joshua, has ruled out a fight with either Daniel Dubois or Fabio Wardley.
The 37-year-old, who last month returned to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov, claims that both Dubois, the WBO heavyweight beltholder, and Wardley, whom Dubois won the belt from, are levels below him. Well, to be precise, at least three leagues below him.
“It’s like EFL League One [the third tier of English football] versus UEFA Champions League [leading football tournament in Europe],” Fury said on his YouTube channel.
“Although they had a good fight together, we’ve seen what happens when Dubois steps up to the Premier League. They don’t really do anything for me.”
Dubois, 23-3 (22 KOs), has twice lost to Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian who has two wins over Fury, 35-2-1 (24 KOs). Dubois rebounded from the second Usyk defeat, which occurred in July last year, to halt Wardley in 11 rounds earlier this month. Alongside KO successes over Anthony Joshua and Filip Hrgovic, it was one of the most impressive showings of Dubois’ career.
“They’re very good fighting men,” Fury went on. “But there’s not a lot of avoided punches in there. It’s just mainly giving and taking it. I’m not going to go off track.
“At my age now, I’ve got to capitalize on making as much as I can.”