CONTROLLED DEMOLITION
coming to the ring, and he was completely locked in. That was it. He was just focused. He was so focused on the fight, so positive. Even immediately after the fight, when you normally see fighters smiling and jumping around, he was still in the zone. It took him a good five to 10 minutes to come out of it. I kept saying to him, ‘Well, let’s have a smile,’ and it took a long time to get to that. But he was quite relaxed in the press conference afterwards. “His performance was outstanding,” Warren continued. “We’ve always known what he’s got. For me, it has always been about the mental aspect, and that was spot on, on the night. He started fast. He was hurtful. And he was composed as well. “He’s got that self-belief now, alongside tremendous skills and big punching power. You look at him, and he didn’t get flustered when he had Fabio in trouble. He’s a good finisher, but he didn’t rush in. He took his time, kept his composure, and systematically broke him down.” That patience, not getting caught by a wounded animal on the ropes, was one of the most impressive parts of the performance. A sign of maturity? “Yeah, of course it is,” responded Warren. “Don [Charles] has done a good job with him too. It’s a bit of a coming-of-age for Don as well.” I noted to Warren that during fight week and at the set pieces, Dubois had also seemed far more endearing to the public, even though Wardley had the noisier support on the night. That included a memorable moment on Piers Morgan Uncensored when Dubois revealed he plays the harp – or at least took lessons – calling it a “heavenly” instrument. People are starting to understand him and grow accustomed to his unique personality. “Yeah, they are,” Warren agreed. “And you’ve never seen him in a boring fight. Ever. Even if there’s controversy, every single one of his fights is exciting. And look at the level he’s fought at – the absolute top level. Look at the
guys he’s fought and beaten. Think about the [TKO on cuts in the Filip] Hrgovic fight, or look at what he did to Anthony Joshua.” In Warren’s estimation, how far away is Dubois from doing better than AJ has done in his career, not as a personality, but strictly as a boxer? “As a boxer ... look, he didn’t fight as a senior amateur,” Warren explained. “He went straight from junior to professional without a single senior bout, turning pro when he was 18. I think AJ was 23 or 24 when he turned pro. In my opinion, Daniel has beaten better opposition than AJ has. If you rated the last 10 years of British heavyweights, he’d be ahead of AJ. He put him on the floor five or six times, remember.” When asked about Dubois expressing a desire, post-fight, to challenge Usyk for a third time, Warren made his stance clear: “He’d like it, and I haven’t got a problem with it. In the first fight [in Poland, August 2023], the referee [Luis Pabon] ruined it for me by constantly interfering. I don’t care what anyone says – I’ve been around long enough to know what a legitimate punch is and what isn’t. That was a legitimate body shot [that downed Usyk in Round 5, ruled a low blow]. Daniel allowed the referee’s call to get to him. Usyk was very uncomfortable in that fight because Daniel was hurting him. Once he let that body shot go, you saw what it did to him. The amount of time the referee gave Usyk to recover was just nuts.” Reflecting, Warren added: “Look at [Dubois’] age then. He just wasn’t mentally where he is now. He’s had a very unique childhood and upbringing, to say it kindly, doing all the press-ups and intense training. When he relaxes,
he’s a really good guy. When he’s smiling and laughing, he’s great. But when he fights, he carries a lot of pressure.” But why wasn’t Dubois stronger against Usyk in their second fight [at Wembley, July 2025], after the AJ victory? “He did well for a couple of rounds, but he got caught by a shot. And I’ll be honest,” offered Warren. “I thought he could have done better. I was expecting better. But given where he is mentally now, it would be a completely different fight. Plus, Usyk is older, and looking at Usyk’s last fight [against Rico Verhoeven], I’d have to fancy Daniel. Not too many people can take the power Daniel has.” For Charles, this victory ranks highly in his career. “Every fight is a must-win. Every fight. Losing is never an option. There was no room for error. And because of the magnitude of the victory, especially at this level, it was magical. I’m still digesting it, to be truthful. “If we can rewind the clock a little bit back … when you’ve done Wembley Stadium, record capacity, and beaten a global superstar by the name of Anthony Joshua, I didn’t think anything would be higher than that. Right? But it’s almost as if the kid has raised the bar again. “Imagine what’s possible going forward, because he’s such a grounded individual that I’m confident nothing will make him suddenly regress, mainly because of his upbringing. His father, Stan, as you know, is instrumental in his life. There was a beautiful moment with them together in the ring after the fight – a picture of both of them smiling – and it speaks volumes.” The trainer continued: “The way Stan has raised his kids is very strict. It’s not an accident that the children have achieved what they have. I mean, look
Wardley did well to survive Dubois’ first significant blow.
Dubois had his eyes narrowed on the prize: his opponent, in the opposing corner, struggling to get into the fight. Following the impressive performance, Charles and Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren spoke exclusively to The Ring, and both believe Dubois is primed with the capability to lead the heavyweight division and potentially rise to undisputed status. T he landscape of the division had changed since the first fight. Oleksandr Usyk, the latest undisputed champion, had vacated all the belts. There was a different perspective. Usyk, after all, had been Dubois’ boogeyman for two encounters. Many reckon that Usyk, 40 years old in January, would still have his number
him, about whether Wardley had wandered back into the lair too quickly (which he had); it all added intrigue to the coming year – or two – as a new era evolves. I asked Warren two days after the fight whether we are witnessing something very special right now. “Yes, I think we are,” he replied. “I think we’re seeing a mentally mature version of Daniel. You know, he’s grown up a lot in the last 12 months in a big way. What I noticed mostly on Saturday night was when I went to his dressing room – I normally go to the fighters’ dressing rooms to wish them well before the fight – this time, he wasn’t paying any attention. I couldn’t even talk to him. “At first, I thought there was something wrong. Then I saw him
were they to meet in a trilogy. We shall see, if that ever happens. The comparisons and superlatives were laid out in London’s docklands by ringside observers and media members in the minutes, hours and days that followed the Dubois victory: Shock and awe. A wrecking ball reminiscent of Mike Tyson. The most dangerous heavyweight on the planet. The most destructive knockout artist on the planet. The compliments showered down on the 29-year-old for his act of one-sided mayhem. The talk was of how the other world titleholders would fare against
“He’s got that self-belief now, alongside tremendous skills and big punching power. You look at him, and he didn’t get flustered when he had Fabio in trouble.”
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