- Daniel Dubois weighed 253.5lb and Fabio Wardley 248.3lb, both career-heaviest, with a calm face-off at the Friday weigh-in
- The WBO heavyweight title fight is at The O2 in London tonight, with the undercard from 7pm and main-event ring walks expected around 10.30pm, live on DAZN pay-per-view
- My prediction is unchanged: Dubois by stoppage in the second half of the fight, between rounds seven and ten
Dubois v Wardley 2: The Weights Are In
Right then. We are here. Daniel Dubois weighed 253.5lb at the Friday weigh-in and Fabio Wardley weighed 248.3lb, and both men were the heaviest they have ever been. The face-off was calm, with both of them describing their rivalry as built on respect, and tonight at The O2 in London they settle it.
The undercard starts at 7pm and main-event ring walks are expected around 10.30pm. It is live on DAZN pay-per-view at £24.99. I have written about this fight in my earlier preview and in the fight-week odds piece, so I will keep this one tight.
What Career-Heaviest Tells Us
Let’s not beat around the bush: carrying more weight into a heavyweight fight can mean two things, more power or less gas. Dubois is five pounds heavier on the scale, which is not a gap that decides anything on its own. But it is worth remembering that Wardley took a proper beating in the first fight in Manchester, when Dubois stopped him in round 11, and he has had only a few months to recover. Both men are bigger, so the question is who is carrying it better in the second half of the fight.
Why Wardley Is Dangerous
Make no mistake, Wardley can hurt Dubois. He put him down in round one and again in round three in the first fight, and he is 20-1-1 with 19 knockouts at 6ft 5in. If he lands early, this can end quickly, and anybody who tells you it is a formality is not watching properly. His whole record says that if he catches you, you go.
Why Dubois Is Still My Pick
But Dubois got up, regrouped and stopped him. He is 23-3 with 22 knockouts and he knows now what the first minutes look like. He will fight the opening round like a man expecting the shot, then settle behind the jab and take over. Dubois is the one who can finish a man who is tiring, and I think Wardley starts to tire from round seven.
My Prediction
Dubois by stoppage in the second half of the fight, somewhere between rounds seven and ten. I have not changed my mind since fight week. It is a proper heavyweight fight with a loaded gun on each side, so keep your seatbelt fastened. Whoever wins, the winner is the obvious next problem for whoever comes through Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua in December.