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