By Jeff Powell MBE, Sports Writer and Boxing Columnist
Published: 16:30 EDT, 18 October 2026 | Updated: 16:30 EDT, 18 October 2026
"Bring him on," roared Daniel Dubois when asked if he would like a third fight against the greatest boxer of his generation, a fighter who has already beaten him twice.
Oleksandr Usyk, currently lingering in a state of professional limbo somewhere between vacating all the heavyweight titles and semi-retirement, remains a tactical and technical genius. Because of this, the Ukrainian master may not fall readily into the trap baited on the banks of the Thames in the dark hours of Sunday morning. Yet, Ukraine’s celebrated war hero will undoubtedly have watched Dubois annihilate the gallant Fabio Wardley. In doing so, Usyk would have recognized that "Dynamite" Daniel is no longer the callow, inexperienced youth he wiped the canvas with a couple of times during his reign as the undisputed world champion.
Promoter Frank Warren is not traditionally a man given to understatement, but when he remarked that "Daniel has matured now," he was merely scratching the surface of a profound physical and psychological transformation. It might be an athletic stretch to compare Dubois directly with the once-terrifying Sonny Liston, but to those rival champions wearing the other belts required for Dubois to achieve undisputed status, the Briton is rapidly starting to look like a genuine monster in the prize-ring.
"I want them all," declared the WBO champion emphatically.
He was referring not only to the winner of the upcoming December blockbuster between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua—a bout that carries significant divisional prestige and multiple belts—but also to reigning IBF and WBC titleholders Filip Hrgovic and Agit Kabayel. The eventual availability of these marquee names, particularly that of AJ or the Gypsy King, will undoubtedly be determined by the staggering financial incentives pouring out of the Aladdin’s Cave that Saudi Arabia has established to help finance the recent welcome flux of lucrative mega-fights.
If those bouts materialize as hoped, Warren is promising a 2027 calendar bursting with monthly heavyweight spectaculars as lustily anticipated as Dubois’ second demolition of Wardley. That explosive encounter culminated in yet another packed O2 crowd visibly switching its allegiance. The initial romance surrounding Fabio’s fairytale emergence from white-collar boxing gave way to the sobering realization that Great Britain now possesses a bona fide world-beater in the absolute ascendancy.
Indeed, Dubois may be growing into more of a true box-office star than the famously monosyllabic Sonny Liston ever was. That star power was clearly on display when his accurate, bravura prediction of a "bash and smash" slaughter of Wardley was followed by his most jovial and relaxed media conference to date. Having initially nurtured his confidence within the close cocoon of the Dubois family circle, Daniel now inhabits a professional mansion of his own making and enjoys the finer trappings of success, including a collection of high-performance sports cars. The days of playing Mister Shy Guy are firmly in the past, yet he remains remarkably likeable despite his newfound aura of dominance.
This fascinating transition into full, commanding manhood was neatly rounded off across his two bruising fights with Wardley. The rivalry included Dubois demonstrating immense resilience by recovering from two early knockdowns in their first epic encounter—a legitimate Fight of the Year contender—before fighting back to secure a brutal 11th-round stoppage victory.
The rematch offered an even starkest demonstration of his destructive power. It was triggered instantly by a staggering right-hand blow delivered a mere 17 seconds after the opening bell, which imposed an immediate eight-count against the ropes. That initial onslaught was swiftly followed by an overwhelming technical knockout in round two. It was a classic display of modern heavyweight efficiency: wham, bam, and thank you, man. Crucially, there was no repeat of the controversies or criticism that accompanied previous stoppages; this time, the white towel flew swiftly into the ring, and referee Steve Gray immediately jumped in to halt the contest and spare Wardley further punishment.
Naturally, every major triumph attracts a degree of lingering critique on its edges. There were inevitable suggestions that Wardley had returned to the ring far too soon after absorbing a heavy, second-half beating in their first meeting back in May. But if a span of five-and-a-half months is not sufficient time for a professional athlete to recover, the question naturally arises: exactly how long should it take? The immortal Joe Louis used to fight once a month, for heaven’s sake.
Wardley, an honest and honorable competitor to his core, rightly placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders. Having lived to fight another day, the brave challenger has already vowed to regroup, improve, and launch a determined comeback campaign aimed at securing another world title opportunity. Meanwhile, Dubois, who celebrated his 29th birthday just last month, is heading straight for the stratospheric heights as the definitive champion of heavyweight boxing’s next generation.
This raises the ultimate question of his legacy: Is he truly transforming into the new monster of the prize-ring? It famously took The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali, to stop the terrifying Liston beast dead in his awesome tracks. Might Usyk ultimately prove to be the Muhammad Ali in waiting for Dubois? Perhaps, or perhaps not, given that the Ukrainian legend is now in the twilight of his career. Regardless of the outcome, it would be a fascinating spectacle to find out.
The simple tombstone on Sonny Liston’s grave in Las Vegas describes the former champion with stark eloquence as simply A MAN. Frank Warren is entirely right in his assessment that Daniel Dubois is rapidly becoming the exact same thing.
