"“I'm going to put him to sleep tomorrow,” said Dubois, 28, although - as he has throughout fight week - offered little beyond brief answers. Dubois - twitching his shoulders, stretching his neck and constantly fidgeting - insisted the “talking was done”, while Wardley rolled his eyes and smiled beside him. The 31-year-old Ipswich fighter then took aim at Dubois' previous defeats by Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk."
"“He does vary but some performances he's done well,” Wardley said. “He didn't do well against Usyk. Once you've opened that door and shown that bit of your character, it leaves people like me to expose it.” Cries of “Oh Fabio Wardley” rang around the venue from several hundred supporters - most backing the champion - as Wardley raised his arms and urged them to increase the volume during an otherwise uneventful face-off."
"Dubois cut an imposing figure on the scales, carrying noticeable extra bulk. His previous heaviest was 17st 10lb (112kg) for his career-defining knockout victory over Anthony Joshua in September 2024. Within boxing circles, this is viewed as a genuine 50/50 contest, and not one many expect to hear the final bell. Both men made their professional debuts on 8 April 2017 but their journeys to the top have been very different."
Dubois weighed in at 18st (115kg) for an all-British heavyweight world-title fight against Fabio Wardley, who weighed 17st 4lb (110kg). The bout is Wardley’s first defense of his WBO title at Manchester’s Co-op Live. Both fighters are dangerous knockout artists and faced each other at a circular illuminated stage called “The Cauldron” to intensify the final staredown. Dubois said he would put Wardley to sleep and kept answers brief during fight week. Wardley responded by referencing Dubois’ previous defeats to Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk, suggesting those performances revealed character that can be exploited. The weigh-in drew a lively crowd backing the champion.
Read at www.bbc.com
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