Derek Chisora has strongly criticised Fabio Wardley following his stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. He questioned both his preparation and overall game plan during the heavyweight clash.
Wardley and Dubois recently delivered one of the most entertaining heavyweight fights of the year, with Dubois battling back from an early knockdown to stop Wardley in round 11, eventually, and claimed the WBO heavyweight belt.
While many fans praised both heavyweights for their toughness and heart, Chisora was far more critical of Wardley’s performance.
Chisora says he knew Dubois would win against Wardley
Speaking after the fight, in an interview with Seconds Out, Chisora revealed that he remained confident in Dubois even after the former IBF champion was dropped in the opening round.
“Daniel got dropped in the first round and I said ‘he’s winning the fight,’” Chisora said.
According to the veteran heavyweight, people around him were surprised by the prediction.
“Everyone around me looked at me like ‘what?’ Guess what he did? He f**king won the fight.”
Chisora praised Dubois for the mentality he showed throughout the contest, especially after being hurt early.
“He bit down on his gumshield and carried on,” Chisora said. “Daniel boxed amazing. He was getting hit but there was no quit in his eyes.”
Chisora slams Wardley’s approach
While praising Dubois, Chisora heavily criticised Wardley’s tactics during the fight.
“Fabio was not ready for boxing,” Chisora claimed.
The British heavyweight questioned Wardley’s lack of jab and overreliance on power shots throughout the contest.
“There was no jab, nothing. Looking for power shots.”
Chisora even suggested Wardley appeared underprepared heading into the fight.
“It was like he didn’t train,” he said.
The veteran also took aim at Wardley’s recent media appearances and commentary work.
“He was too busy commentating,” Chisora added.
Chisora questions Wardley’s jab
Chisora repeatedly returned to the issue of Wardley’s jab, believing it played a major role in the defeat.
“How many jabs did Fabio chuck?” Chisora asked.
“He didn’t chuck no jabs, he didn’t do anything we’ve seen before.”
According to Chisora, Wardley failed to implement the fundamentals needed against a dangerous heavyweight like Dubois.
“He was supposed to work his jab, but he was not working his jab.”
‼️ DEREK CHISORA SLAMS FABIO WARDLEY – "HE WASN'T READY FOR BOXING, HE DIDN'T TRAIN!"#Boxing #BoxingNews #DerekChisora #WardleyvsDubois #DanielDubois pic.twitter.com/Ru2KbSoiVd
— Seconds Out Boxing (@SecondsOutLive) May 9, 2026
Despite the criticism, Wardley earned praise from several other figures in boxing for fighting through severe damage and continuing to battle until the eventual stoppage in round 11.
Following the fight, promoter Frank Warren revealed during the in-ring interview that the contract includes a rematch clause, leaving the door open for Dubois and Wardley to meet again in the future.
With the victory, Dubois became a two-time heavyweight champion and handed Wardley his first career defeat.
