Daniel Dubois has promised to beat Fabio Wardley “in style this time” when he meets his fellow Brit in their upcoming WBO heavyweight title rematch.
Having recovered from an early knockdown within the opening 10 seconds of their first fight in May, followed by another heavy visit to the canvas in round three, Dubois rallied to earn an 11th-round stoppage win during Wardley’s maiden title defence.
Wardley, from Ipswich, moved quickly to trigger his rematch clause, booking a second showdown at London’s O2 Arena on 17 October.
Dubois, a former WBA ‘regular’ and IBF champion whose record stands at 23-3 (22KOs) following the victory in Manchester, insists the storyline will be different in the return fixture.
“I was coming off a defeat last time, so I was a bit nervous and stuff. It is just a fresh start for me now,” Dubois told a launch press conference in London on Wednesday. “I feel even better, (with a) smoother training camp this time and I will be ready for war.”
The 28-year-old continued: “I have got to put things right this time, be sharp off the mark, more precise, and take him out in style this time. Just raise my level now, raise my game and break him down again.
“I am going to come in as champion and just demonstrate my skill and my pedigree what I have.”
Victory over Wardley would allow Dubois to pursue larger opportunities within an exceptionally competitive division.
“I want to get into that league that (promoter) Frank (Warren) is talking about,” stated Dubois, who subsequently labelled his opponent a “dead man walking” during their face-off and hurled an expletive or two while Wardley sought to maintain composure.
“I only want to be the ‘last man standing’ and be up there with the greats.”
Wardley, who ended the previous bout bloodied and bruised at the start of the 11th round in Manchester, remains confident he can learn from his setback.
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“I felt like I was a victim of my own success in them early stages,” he stated. “I just got trigger-happy, got carried away with just trying to launch that right hand, to get the fight finished up.”
The 31-year-old added: “I have proven time and time again that I am able to adapt, adjust, change, develop. I will do all those things in this camp – and I will come through on top on the night with a knockout.”