Daniel Dubois has promised to make Fabio Wardley pay for his “bin man” jibe when the two British heavyweights meet for the WBO world title in Manchester on Saturday.
Wardley, unbeaten in 21 professional fights, will make the first defence of his WBO heavyweight belt against Dubois at Co-op Live Arena. The build-up has grown increasingly tense after Wardley suggested in a DAZN interview that Dubois might have been a bin man if he had not become a boxer.
Dubois, who has 22 wins and three defeats, including 21 knockouts, responded sharply during fight-week media events, saying he intended to “take out the trash.” The Londoner stayed behind to watch Wardley’s open workout on Wednesday, leading to an intense unscheduled face-off before the pair exchanged more words at Thursday’s press conference.
“Well, I am going to take out the trash. I am the dustman, he is the trash,” Dubois said. “I’ll take out the trash.”
The bout carries major consequences for both men. Wardley, 31, is seeking to prove he belongs among the elite heavyweights after his rise from white-collar boxing to world champion. He captured the WBO title with a dramatic stoppage of Joseph Parker in October and has insisted that facing Dubois is exactly the kind of risk a champion should take.
Dubois, 28, enters the fight looking to rebuild his standing after last year’s defeat by Oleksandr Usyk. He said that experience against one of the best heavyweights of his generation had changed him and made him a stronger fighter.
“I shared the ring with a top southpaw, a top heavyweight in Usyk,” Dubois said. “I am a new fighter now and I am a new man.”
Wardley, meanwhile, defended his comment, saying he had not intended to insult refuse workers or disrespect Dubois. He said he had simply been asked to imagine what job Dubois might have had outside boxing.
“It’s not disrespectful. I didn’t say it was a bad job,” Wardley said.
Despite the heated exchanges, both fighters expect an explosive contest. Wardley has built his reputation on durability, late drama and heavy punching, while Dubois remains one of Britain’s most dangerous knockout punchers.
For Wardley, victory would strengthen his claim as a major force in the division. For Dubois, it is a chance to reclaim a world title and silence a rival whose words have turned Saturday’s fight into something far more personal.
