The pre-fight “party” that took place before Daniel Dubois’ loss to Oleksandr Usyk “will never happen again,” says promoter Frank Warren.
Dubois had a rematch with Usyk last year, but lost by fifth-round knockout in the undisputed heavyweight title fight.
The British fighter arrived at the venue 90 minutes before he was scheduled to cross the ring walk, shortly after Usyk arrived.
Dubois was late arriving at Wembley Stadium, and it was suggested that a party or gathering organized by his father might have caused the match to be delayed and interrupted.
There won’t be a repeat of that when Dubois takes on Fabio Wardley for the WBO world heavyweight title on May 9.
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Daniel Dubois refused to shake Fabio Wardley’s hand after facing him for the first time at the launch press conference ahead of the May fight
Promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports: “That will never happen again. The good thing is they’re in Manchester so they’re staying in a hotel.”
“I was tearing my hair out when he was late arriving. What’s left of me? You can’t argue with guys when he’s two hours away from the biggest game of all time, but then we sat down and said what needed to be said.”
Dubois wants to put the incident behind him. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” he told Sky Sports.
The heavyweight had a brief period with new trainer Tony Sims before returning to coach Don Charles.
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Daniel Dubois’ manager Sam Jones believes his fighter has all the traits that give Fabio Wardley problems and will feel more power in the ring than he has ever experienced before.
“He’s in good shape at the moment,” Warren said. “Parting ways with Don and coming back was good for him because he knew he was elsewhere and was more comfortable with Don. There was a lot going on behind the scenes of that fight and it was well documented.”
Dubois immediately gets a chance to redeem himself in his fight with Wardley. “I’m not taking a step back. This is the best fight for me,” he said. “I’m glad he took it. Big chance for me, big chance for me and I need to take away his zero (undefeated record).
“There was a lot going on behind the scenes, and now I’m going to prove everything wrong and take the belt.”
He suspects Wardley is betting on himself, recovering from a high-profile loss and losing confidence.
But he warned, “They don’t know that I’m better prepared than ever.
“This is just another lesson, another milestone in my career. I have no feelings about it. I’m just looking to the future.
“I think he’s the perfect match. His style and who he is is a perfect fit for me,” Dubois said of Wardley.
“The skill, it’s about smashing him and taking him down. The jab, the foot movement, the speed, exactly what I’m doing. You guys are going to be in for a treat.
“I don’t freeze in front of the crowd anymore. I’m used to it. I’m going to be on top of him from the first bell.”
“I’m going to do it again and win the world title and keep it.”
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Fabio Wardley has suggested Daniel Dubois’ front-footed style is a good match and will suit him when the two meet in Manchester on May 9.
He believes a win could lead to a showdown with Tyson Fury. “It’s going to be tough, going through it again and coming back to Wembley,” Dubois said.
“It’s one fight at a time, but I’ll overcome anyone. I’ll be a force for anyone who steps in that ring.”
“There’s a lot of stuff available.”
But he added, “There’s going to be a lot of new fighters, not just Fury. New challenges, new prospects are emerging and it’s going to be interesting to get back into the mix.”
“There are so many promising names out there, and if we pull this off, the door is wide open for us to make big fights nationally or globally.”
