Carl Froch has offered his final verdict on Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois, predicting a “late” stoppage in their heavyweight tussle.
The pair will headline a Queensberry Promotions pay-per-view card at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, with Wardley making the first defence of his WBO world title.
He was elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion following his last outing, an 11th-round finish over Joseph Parker, which saw the former white-collar boxer cement himself as a top-level heavyweight.
The 31-year-old’s stunning triumph in October was then followed by Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his WBO title, rather than face his then-mandatory challenger.
Prior to that, the Ukrainian had become a three-time, two-division undisputed champion by stopping Dubois in the fifth round of their rematch last July.
In doing so, Usyk ended an impressive three-fight unbeaten run for Dubois, which included stoppages over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
Each of those performances demonstrated the Londoner’s ferocious power and thudding jab, with many believing he possesses a superior ring IQ to Wardley
While speaking with Fight Your Corner, though, Hall of Famer Froch highlighted the unorthodox nature of Wardley’s style, believing it will represent a key factor in their showdown.
“I’m picking Fabio Wardley to get to him late on. He’s got quite fast hands, and he’s awkward in the way he throws his punches, because he’s come from [a] white-collar [background].
“I think Dubois’ going to try and land that jab – he’s got a great jab. He might land a few right hands [but], if it [goes] past round five or six rounds, Dubois’ probably not going to be able to knock [Wardley] out with one punch.”
While both heavyweights punch terrifically hard, the unpredictable angles from where Wardley launches his attacks is perhaps why Froch ultimately sees him emerging victorious.
