Fabio Wardley is absolutely feeding off Anthony Joshua’s “aura” right now, getting ready to reclaim that WBO world heavyweight title from Daniel Dubois this Saturday at The O2 Arena. Wardley’s looking to avenge the only defeat of his career, a loss to Dubois back in May, and the energy in his training camp is apparently off the charts.
The AJ Vibe Is Absolutely Electric
Joshua has been reunited with Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, at the training facility in Harlow, putting them through their paces together. And Wardley, at 31, says AJ’s presence is a massive boost. He’s been back in the gym for a good while, and according to Wardley, Joshua brings a “different energy and a different aura around him.” When AJ shows up, the whole gym gets “a little buzz and a different feel.” Joshua is “straight back in the mix” and “shoulder to shoulder with the boys,” exactly like you’d expect from a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist. This reunion with Davison is huge, especially since AJ had left him after his fifth-round knockout by Dubois in 2024. Talk about validation for a coach under fire!
Wardley’s Ride-or-Die Trust in Davison
Trainer Ben Davison has caught a ton of criticism over his corner work and preparation for world heavyweight title bouts involving guys like Joshua, Wardley, and Moses Itauma. People were especially scrutinizing his decision not to throw in the towel when Wardley was getting pummeled by Dubois in their first fight, before referee Howard Foster stepped in. But Wardley is NOT having any of that talk. He calls the whole conversation around Ben “incredibly frustrating” and the level of criticism “incredible.” He trusts Davison “with my life,” not a phrase he says lightly. Wardley believes his team knows him well enough to know he was “still very much in that first fight,” even “still catching Daniel, even in the 10th.” He’s glad they let him carry on, showing complete faith in his corner for Saturday night.
Dubois Is Embracing the Chaos (Seriously)
On the other side of the ring, Daniel Dubois is coming into this rematch with a whole different vibe. After his second confidence-sapping loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Dubois admitted nerves were why he started “pedestrian” against Wardley last time. But now? He’s owning it. Dubois says he feels “nervous every day,” embracing the fact that “tension is his default setting.” He’s calling himself a “nervous and chaotic character,” and he plans to use that state of mind as a weapon for his 27th professional fight. He’s “chaos,” and he’s “just holding that chaos in until the fight,” believing it’s “a power for you if you know how to use it.” Dubois is all about harnessing that feeling, enjoying “inflicting pain and putting that chaos on to the other guy.” He sees boxing as an “outlet,” taking whatever “pain” is inside him and putting it on his opponent.
So, get ready for Saturday at The O2 Arena. Wardley’s got that AJ glow and unwavering faith in his trainer, and Dubois is bringing his full, unbridled chaos. It’s gonna be a must-watch title fight.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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