Boxing
Dubois has 'got to be sharper off the mark' to beat Wardley again
Taylor vs. Pili live on DAZN - Saturday
Daniel Dubois knows he cannot afford to risk another slow start in his rematch with Fabio Wardley.
When the duo collided in May, Dubois had to pick himself up off the canvas after just 10 seconds and was forced to do so again in the third round.
He went on to win a bruising encounter late on, when referee Howard Foster stepped in to wave off the fight with Wardley taking sustained punishment in the 11th.
Victory saw Dubois, 28, rip the WBO world heavyweight title from his foe’s grasp — and he has no intention of letting it go when they face each other again at London’s O2 Arena on October 17.
“We chipped away at him and got the victory in the end,” he said at today’s launch press conference. “We got what we came for.
Hrgovic stuns Moses to become IBF champion
Watch: Croatian upsets Briton to earn heavyweight crown
“I’ve got to be sharper off the mark, more precise and take him out in style. I need to raise my game, raise my level and break him down again.
“I’m going to come in as champion and demonstrate my skill and pedigree. I've got to break him down and beat him up. I did it before and I'll do it again."
Wardley, 31, took some time away to lick his wounds following the first defeat of his pro career.
But there was never any doubt in his mind about taking another shot at Dubois. He said: “There were mixed emotions. Taking a loss is never fun, but there was a lot to be proud of.
“I was proud of the performance, but not the loss as a whole.
“I felt a bit too comfortable with the really early knockdown followed by the one in the third. I was too relaxed.
“I’ll hold my hands up and say I was a victim of my own success in those early stages.
“I got carried away with trying to let my right hand go. I was too relaxed, too laid-back and didn’t get him out of there when I should have.
“I have zero excuses for the loss on the night and I have zero excuses going into the rematch. I triggered the rematch as soon as I could.
"It's just another chapter in my career. I never expected to get through without a stumble along the way. My aim is to adjust and come out on top.
"I've proven time and time again that I'm able to adjust and develop."
After witnessing a fight-of-the-year contender in Manchester, promoter Frank Warren is confident the pair will produce fireworks once again.
He said: “This is a cracker of a fight. The first was one of the best heavyweight fights I’ve seen live. It’s going to be something special.
“Styles make fights — these two guys were made to make a great fight. They’ve both got massive, massive power and I think this time around is going to be even better.
“You’re just going to get bombs away. That’s how they are.”
Watch Garcia vs. Benn on DAZN
Britian's Conor Benn looks to become a world champion for the first time against US superstar Ryan Garcia on Saturday, September 12. Watch the fight exclusively in the UK & Ireland and other territories (check for availability) on DAZN PPV or included in our Ultimate Tier subscription.
