Fabio Wardley has insisted the terms “email champion” and “paper champion” will mean nothing come Saturday night, if he beats Daniel Dubois in Manchester.
Headlining at the Co-op Live arena, Wardley will defend the WBO heavyweight title against Dubois, having been elevated from interim champion when Oleksandr Usyk gave up the regular belt.
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Wardley won the interim strap in October by fighting from behind to stop Joseph Parker, just weeks before Usyk relinquished the official version of the belt to lose his status as undisputed champion.
Fabio Wardley ahead of his WBO title defence against Daniel Dubois (Reuters)
And this week, fight broadcaster DAZN put it to Wardley that some fans have been calling him an “email champion”.
“Yeah, look, it’s fair enough if that’s people’s thoughts or opinions, whatever else,” Wardley responded. “I’ve got no time to try and convince people otherwise.
“I did a job against Joseph Parker. I picked Daniel as a voluntary [challenger] for a reason: to again prove myself – not that I need to, but fine, no worries.
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“I’ll tick that off, and then come the end of Saturday night, come the fight, my hand will be raised and the word[s] ‘paper champion’ will fade.”
Wardley vs Dubois will be a battle of British heavyweights, as the latter aims to become a two-time world champion.
In fact, Dubois’s IBF title reign began in the same fashion as Wardley’s WBO reign. Dubois stopped Filip Hrgovic in 2024 to win the interim IBF belt, and when Usyk vacated the regular version, Dubois was elevated.
Dubois then knocked out Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium to retain the official IBF strap, before losing to Usyk via stoppage last July – also at Wembley – as the Ukrainian became a two-time undisputed heavyweight king. The result was Dubois’s second KO defeat by Usyk, and his third loss overall.
Dubois will aim to bounce back from his second stoppage loss to Oleksandr Usyk (Getty)
Meanwhile, Wardley is unbeaten as a professional, although the 31-year-old was close to defeat against Parker and Justis Huni in 2025. The Ipswich boxer trailed both men on the scorecards, but in both fights he pulled off late KOs to secure victory.
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Against Dubois, 28, Wardley will aim to set up his own clash with Usyk. First, though, Usyk is scheduled to defend the WBC title against kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven.
The unbeaten Ukrainian will do so on 23 May – at the pyramids of Giza, no less. Usyk, 39, is then expected to be handed a mandatory title defence against the WBC’s No 1 contender, Agit Kabayel.
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