Fabio Wardley insists simple technical fixes can turn things around against Daniel Dubois this Saturday. He knows he packs enough punch to do damage. The trick is getting those shots home without winding up on isolated bombs that leave his own chin unprotected.
Watching the tape of their first fight convinced Wardley to jump straight into the rematch. He saw clear tactical lapses that he feels are easy to clean up, with a steady lead hand and compact combinations leading the way.
“There was a small conversation with myself of ‘am I doing this out of aggravation, annoyance, emotion-based because I just lost and I’m angry and I want it back’ or do I genuinely feel like the mistakes I made are easily rectified and I can come back around and get the win,” said Wardley to The Ring.
“And the conclusion was actually, yeah, after reviewing the fight and looking at it I made some silly mistakes.”
“I did some small things but consistently wrong.”
Wardley kept the exact fixes quiet, but the path forward looks obvious. It starts behind the jab. He needs to make Dubois work for every inch of territory instead of letting him roll forward uncontested. A stiff jab disrupts Dubois’ offense while clearing space for the right hand.
Joe Joyce gave everyone the blueprint on how Dubois handles a disciplined jab. Joyce peppered him until the eye shut completely, forcing Dubois down to a knee. Wardley doesn’t need to match that punch count. He simply needs a solid lead hand to control the timing of his heavier shots.
Chaining punches together provides the next fix. Oleksandr Usyk neutralized Dubois by mixing up multi-punch attacks with clever angles. Wardley cannot remake himself into Usyk overnight, but he can follow the blueprint that he used to beat him. Keep Dubois guessing instead of allowing him time to brace for a single bomb.
Firing off quick combinations gives Wardley extra chances to score if the first punch catches gloves. Selling out on lone haymakers leaves his chin exposed whenever he misses.
Wardley packs the punch to turn this around. He just needs an approach that keeps working round after round. Setting a sharp jab, throwing short combinations, and staying disciplined after every exchange will get him there.
