Daniel Dubois has reacted to his tense staredown with Fabio Wardley ahead of their heavyweight clash on May 9.
The two heavyweights came face to face during the open workout held on Wednesday at the Great Northern Amphitheatre. The event drew major attention as anticipation continues to build for one of the most explosive heavyweight matchups of the year.
During the staredown, Dubois appeared to take the more aggressive approach. The former IBF heavyweight champion repeatedly leaned forward while locking eyes with Wardley in an attempt to force a reaction.
The reigning champion, however, remained calm throughout the exchange and barely moved as both fighters stood inches apart.
The intense moment quickly spread across social media, with fans reacting to the visible tension between the two heavyweights.
Shortly after the face-off, Dubois reacted on Instagram with a brief two-word message.
“Didn’t blink,” Dubois wrote.
The comment referenced Wardley’s composed demeanor during the staredown while also tying into the promotion’s “Don’t Blink” branding for the fight.
Wardley and Dubois are scheduled to collide on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena. The fight has generated significant buzz due to the knockout power both men carry into the ring.
The 31-year-old enters the contest as the WBO heavyweight champion after stopping Joseph Parker last year, and was elevated to full champion following Oleksandr Usyk’s vacating the title.
Joseph Parker backs Dubois against Wardley
Recently, Warley’s opponent, Parker, has shared his prediction for the bout.
Speaking on ‘Playbook Boxing,’ Parker reflected on his bout with Wardley and admitted that he performed well below his actual level. Despite feeling he was only operating at around “50 or 60 percent,” Parker pointed out that Wardley still needed 11 rounds to secure the stoppage.
“I do fancy Dubois. There’s a few things that happened in my fight with Wardley. I feel like I really underperformed, around 50, 60% of what I could do. I reckon Wardley should’ve knocked me out early on.”
Parker also highlighted Dubois’ amateur background and punching power while slightly leaning toward the former IBF heavyweight champion ahead of the fight.
“Listen, he won the fight, I congratulated him … but I do feel like with Dubois, the boxing background he has, there’s a bit of a difference.I would say in my opinion Dubois is the bigger puncher. Fabio has some great knockouts himself, but there’s something about Dubois, just raw and aggressive.”
Dubois, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back and reassert himself among the top names in the heavyweight division after losing his IBF heavyweight title to Oleksandr Usyk last year.
With emotions already rising during fight week, the latest face-off only added more fuel to what many expect to be a violent and dramatic showdown.
