Queensberry Promotions founder Frank Warren fears his heavyweight fighter, Fabio Wardley, shaved years off his career because of the sustained beating Daniel Dubois inflicted on him when they collided in a fire-fight on Saturday in Manchester, England.
“Look at the punches that he took and he got up and he gritted his teeth and got on with it, and he’s matured and he boxed extremely well,” said Warren when speaking with talkSPORT. “It was magnificent.”
For as much praise Warren reserved for Wardley, he also waxed lyrical over Dubois — particularly because of his career arc in which he received criticism for taking a knee in the Joe Joyce loss, regrouped, and has now added significant wins over the likes of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua, among others.
“Anybody who doubts Daniel now, I don’t know what planet they’re on,” said Warren. “He’s matured mentally and I’ve believed in him, we’ve stuck with him.”
It all leads to what’s next. The heavyweight scene is thrilling, particularly in Britain and Europe, but some fights are tied up. Oleksandr Usyk fights Rico Verhoeven later this month in a novelty match, and Tyson Fury and Joshua circle one another before a Battle of Britain.
Unless Dubois takes on Moses Itauma or Agit Kabayel, a rematch against Wardley — which Warren said on the night was contractually-bound — could be next.
“There is a rematch clause,” Warren reiterated, “but it won’t happen for a while because it’s going to take a long time.
“I sent Fabio a message yesterday, he’s home now safely with his family and he’s got to recover, as has Daniel.
“Those fights take a lot out of you and it’s definitely a fight I suppose all the fans would like to see. Whether it happens or not, I don’t know, but that’s going to be down to Fabio and his team.”
On Wardley, specifically, Warren added: “He’s had quite a few stitches and he’s obviously down because he got beat, but he gave a massively great account of himself, and now it’s all about him spending time with his family and his new daughter. So that’s what he’ll do and when the time’s right, we’ll see.”
Warren then said he thinks the fight was allowed to go on for too long, which caused Wardley to suffer more damage than was necessary once it was established there was no way back for him, despite an extraordinary start in which he scored two knockdowns in the first three rounds, but then lost momentum to Dubois, who boxed behind a jab and brutal combinations.
“I know what the thought process behind them was because that fact what he did in both the fights with [Justis] Huni and [Joseph] Parker, how he pulled it out the bag — but he didn’t take the punishment of the Parker and Huni fight as he did against Daniel, and Daniel is a phenomenal puncher,” he said.
“Ben [Davison] and the team, they’re seasoned trainers and cornermen. They feel they know what they’re doing, but me, I would’ve pulled my man out.”
