“That can’t happen again,” Frank Warren said of the late arrival in comments to Sky Sports. He later admitted he was “tearing my hair out,” a level of candour promoters rarely show ahead of major bouts. Public acknowledgement of that disorder signals that something inside the preparation went wrong and that adjustments were required.
The response has been quiet but deliberate. Dubois and his team will be based in a hotel in Manchester for the Wardley fight, Warren confirmed to Sky Sports, a logistical change designed to tighten control and reduce outside interference. Dubois has also reunited with Don Charles after a brief spell with Tony Sims, choosing familiarity and defined authority over experimentation at a stage of his career that demands stability.
That stability now meets an opponent who applies pressure from the opening bell. Wardley remains unbeaten, throws in volume, and forces exchanges at a pace that punishes hesitation. Any uncertainty in Dubois will be tested quickly once the fight begins.
Dubois challenges Wardley for the WBO heavyweight title on May 9 in Manchester, a booking that returns him immediately to championship stakes despite the setback at Wembley. He has described the Usyk experience as a lesson and indicated the circumstances surrounding that night will not be repeated. Words alone, however, do not settle the issue. The measure comes in preparation, arrival, and whether the structure around him holds firm when the spotlight turns bright.
Manchester will provide that answer. A composed build-up and controlled presence would mark visible progress in itself. If old disorder resurfaces, the explanation will not be technical. It will be whether Dubois has taken command of his own fight night, and at the heavyweight level, that difference often determines who keeps titles and who continues chasing them.
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