When words turn into weapons before the first punch is even thrown, you know Saturday night's heavyweight showdown is going to be something special. Daniel Dubois has fired back at Fabio Wardley's "bin-man" jibe with a chilling promise: he's coming to collect the trash.
The war of words erupted during Thursday's tense news conference ahead of their all-British clash at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena. Wardley, the 31-year-old WBO heavyweight champion from Ipswich, sparked the fire when asked what Dubois would be doing if he wasn't a boxer. His answer? "Bin man."
That comment clearly struck a nerve with the 28-year-old Dubois, who didn't mince words in his response. "I'm going to collect that trash, boy. It's disrespect, so I'm going to put it right in the ring. I heard what you said. I'm going to burst his bubble."
The tension between these two British heavyweights has been simmering for months. It all started back in February when Dubois famously declined Wardley's fist bump during their first face-off. This week's meeting only added fuel to the fire, with verbal jabs landing within minutes of each other.
Wardley didn't back down, taking aim at Dubois's social media presence. "You don't even run your own social media. I got asked what job you would do and I said bin man. It's not a bad job."
Despite the heated exchange, Dubois insisted he was "not at all" rattled. Wardley's sarcastic reply said it all: "Yeah, he's as cool as a cucumber." The final face-off was a study in silence, with Dubois clearly eager to leave the stage as Wardley offered another fist bump—this time purely in jest.
With a combined knockout ratio of 95%, fight fans are expecting fireworks rather than a judges' decision on Saturday. Wardley claimed the WBO "interim" title against Joseph Parker in October before being elevated to full champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. He described not winning the title in the ring as "bitter-sweet," adding, "Saturday night, I can have the full bells and whistles. It won't be 'and the new' but it'll be 'and still'."
For Dubois, a former IBF champion, this fight represents a chance at redemption following last summer's knockout defeat to Usyk. And if his words are anything to go by, he's ready to take out all that frustration in the ring.