- Open workout confirmed Wednesday May 6 at the Great Northern Amphitheatre, 36 Peter Street Manchester — doors 4:30pm, workout starts 5pm
- Public and media invited — both Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on the pads in front of fight-week walk-ins
- Final presser Thursday, weigh-in Friday at the Co-op Live, fight Saturday — the run sheet is locked
Right Then — Manchester, You're In
Right then. Five days out and the curtain's coming up. Queensberry have confirmed the open workout for Fabio Wardley against Daniel Dubois goes Wednesday afternoon at the Great Northern Amphitheatre on Peter Street, slap bang in the middle of the city. Doors open at half past four. Workout proper kicks off at five. Walk-ins welcome — that's the bit that should excite the casual fan.
This is the bit of fight week that gets dismissed by the cynics as a photo opportunity. Don't be one of those people. There's plenty to watch for if you know where to look.
What To Actually Look For At An Open Workout
First — the body. Wardley always carries his weight well, but the question all camp has been whether he's added serious frame for what he's calling a "firefight" with Dubois. If he comes onto the apparatus looking thicker around the chest and shoulders, that's a tell. He's planning to plant his feet and trade. If he's lean and sharp, he's planning to box.
Second — the speed of the pad work. Dubois under Don Charles has been a different fighter since 2024. Snappier feet, tighter combinations, real intent on the jab. If those pads are popping and the foot speed looks crisp, ignore the prop noise from the bin-man row earlier this week. He's ready.
Third — the eyes. Heavyweight title week is a different animal. Fighters either look settled or look haunted. Twelve months ago Dubois walked through Joshua looking like a man who'd already decided how the fight ended. That's the version that gives Wardley problems.
Why It Matters That The Public Are In
Make no mistake — putting fans inside the workout this week is good business and good boxing. Manchester is a fight town that's been starved of a proper heavyweight title night in years. Letting paying punters see the champion and the challenger take the pads three days out from the Co-op Live builds the temperature in a way no podcast can. It's also a tell about the promotion's confidence — they wouldn't run a public-access workout if they thought either man was going to look dead-legged on the day.
The Run Sheet From Here
Wednesday is the workout. Thursday is the final presser, where we'll see how civilly the bin-man row gets parked or whether Don Charles's demand for a retraction goes another round. Friday is the weigh-in at the Co-op Live, which I expect to be a sell-out for fans alone. Saturday night, the bell goes. That's the schedule. That's the noise. It's all live now.
The Prediction
Wardley turns up to the workout looking proper heavyweight — bigger across the chest than people expect, a southpaw stance trick or two on the pads, and a smile that suggests he genuinely believes Dubois is the fight that announces him. Dubois looks calm. The fans go home talking about both men, which is exactly what Frank Warren wants. By Saturday night, Manchester is on fire.
Get yourself down there if you can. Workouts are free education for fight fans, and this one's the most accessible Manchester is going to get this year.