Johnny Fisher Weighs In on Fabio Wardley v Daniel Dubois Ahead of May Title Fight
Johnny Fisher, who has sparred with both fighters, offered an inside read on the all-British world heavyweight title fight in May and singled out fabio wardley’s rise and Daniel Dubois’ power as defining features of the clash.
Fabio Wardley meets Daniel Dubois in Manchester on 9 May
The pair met at a news conference in London as Wardley prepares to defend the WBO world title in Manchester on 9 May. Dubois is aiming to become a two-time world champion and will return to the ring for the first time since his second knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk in August. Wardley is scheduled to make his first defence of the WBO belt since being upgraded.
Fisher’s sparring history with both men
Fisher has been up close with both fighters. He said he sparred Wardley “many times in the earlier days four or five years ago” and that he has been around Dubois in the Sims gym. “Great fight. Fabio Wardley, I’ve seen his rise. I sparred him many times in the earlier days four or five years ago. And Daniel Dubois I’ve been around him in the Sims gym, it’s a fantastic match-up, ” Fisher said, stressing the value of his firsthand sessions.
What Fisher highlighted: toughness, technique and electric power
Fisher praised both men for different reasons. He warned against writing off Wardley: “People have written off Fabio Wardley many times before, that’s probably not a wise thing to do. So I’m not going to do that. ” On Dubois, Fisher noted the raw shot: “Daniel Dubois, electric power, I’ve felt that myself. ”
On Wardley specifically, Fisher called him “everything that we see that he is. He’s a warrior, metal toughness, the ability to come back for looking like he’s in trouble to swinging and getting someone out of there. ” He also credited Wardley’s boxing craft: “He’s also a great boxing technician. We’ve got to give him credit for that fight with Parker, not just knocking him out, but showing the skills to beat a world-class heavyweight. ”
Form lines and stakes ahead of the clash
Wardley last fought in October, stopping Joseph Parker inside 11 rounds despite being behind on all of the judges’ cards when the fight ended. Dubois is coming off the August defeat by Usyk and will use the Manchester bout as a return to the top level. Fisher noted that both men remain in their prime and that both possess knockout power, a combination that he said makes the matchup especially intriguing.
The confirmed next milestone is the world heavyweight title fight on 9 May in Manchester, following the London news conference. Fisher’s sparring insight adds a hands-on perspective to the immediate storyline: a reigning champion in his first defence and a challenger seeking to regain world status after a knockout loss.
