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, Oleksandr Usyk, who has beaten him twice during his illustrious career.
Usyk, currently occupying a state of limbo somewhere between vacating all the heavyweight titles and moving toward semi-retirement, remains a tactical genius in the ring. Because of his vast skill set, the Ukrainian maestro may not fall readily into the trap baited on the banks of the Thames in the dark hours of this Sunday morning.
Ukraine’s celebrated war hero will undoubtedly have watched Dubois annihilate the gallant Fabio Wardley, recognizing that "Dynamite" Daniel is no longer the callow, inexperienced youth he wiped the canvas with during his reign as the undisputed heavyweight world champion.
Promoter Frank Warren is not a man given to understatement, but when he remarked that Daniel has matured now, he was only scratching the surface of a profound physical and psychological transformation. It might be a stretch to compare Dubois directly with the once-terrifying Sonny Liston, but to those rival champions wearing the other belts he desperately needs if he is to capture undisputed status, the Briton is rapidly starting to look like a genuine monster.
"I want them all," declared the WBO heavyweight champion, referring directly to the winner of the high-stakes December showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who will collectively hold a WBA title alongside the IBF and WBC belts currently claimed by 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 from which Saudi Arabia has helped finance the recent welcome flux of global mega-fights. Should those lucrative bouts come together as planned, Warren is promising a 2027 bursting with monthly heavyweight spectaculars, events as lustily anticipated by the boxing public as Dubois’ recent second demolition of Fabio Wardley.
That rapid conclusion saw another packed O2 Arena crowd fundamentally switch its allegiance. The initial romance surrounding Wardley’s remarkable, unconventional emergence from white-collar boxing gave way to the undeniable realization that Great Britain possesses a true world-beater very much in the ascendancy.
Indeed, Dubois may even be growing into more of a box office star than the famously monosyllabic Sonny Liston ever was, provided his accurate and bravura prediction of a "bash and smash" slaughter of Wardley—coupled with the most jovial media conference of his career—are anything to go by.
Having initially nursed his confidence within the protective cocoon of the Dubois family circle, Daniel now commands a mansion of his own to live in and an enviable collection of sports cars to drive. Gone are the days of Mister Shy Guy, replaced by a more confident athlete who remains every bit as likeable.
This smooth transition into full manhood was effectively rounded off across his two bruising encounters with Wardley. The rivalry included a remarkable recovery from two early knockdowns in their first Fight of the Year contender, which ultimately culminated in a brutal 11th-round stoppage victory.
That resilience set the stage for the explosive onslaught witnessed on Saturday night, triggered by a staggering right-hand blow delivered a mere 17 seconds after the opening bell, which forced an immediate eight-count against the ropes. It was followed quickly by an overwhelming technical knockout in the second round—wham, bam, and thank you, man. There was no delayed controversy this time regarding the stoppage; in flew the white towel from the corner, and in jumped referee Steve Gray to wave off the contest.
Naturally, minor criticisms have lingered at the edges of Dubois’ comprehensive triumph, with some pundits suggesting that Wardley returned to the ring far too soon after absorbing a heavy beating in their first encounter back in May. Yet, if five and a half months is not a sufficient period of recovery for a professional athlete, exactly how long should it take? The immortal heavyweight champion Joe Louis used to step between the ropes to fight once a month, for heaven’s sake.
Wardley, an honest and gracious man that he is, ultimately blamed himself for the defeat. Having lived to fight another day, the brave contender vows to improve sufficiently to launch a concerted comeback campaign for another shot at a world title. Meanwhile, Dubois, who celebrated his 29th birthday just last month, heads straight for the stratosphere as the undisputed champion of heavyweight boxing’s next generation.
Could he truly be the new monster of the prize-ring? It famously took The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali, to stop the formidable Liston beast in his tracks. Might Usyk step up as the Muhammad Ali-in-waiting for Dubois in a trilogy fight? Perhaps, though perhaps not, given that the Ukrainian is the older legend now. Even so, finding out the answer in the ring would be utterly fascinating.
The simple tombstone on Sonny Liston’s grave in Las Vegas describes the former champion simply as A MAN. Frank Warren is entirely right about Daniel Dubois growing into precisely that.
