Online Reporter
DANIEL DUBOIS and Fabio Wardley are both armed with data and tactics boffins in their camps— building to boxing’s most scientific fight yet.
Wardley splits his time between trainer Rob Hodgins’ gym in Ipswich and Ben Davison’s Harlow base.
And a major part of Davison’s team is tactical analyst Lee Wylie —credited for extensively studying both their fighters and the opponent.
But Dubois has his own answer in Mohammed Ali —a former amateur boxer at Islington —who also works with Conor Benn.Ali — dubbed Dubois’ Head of Performance Analysis — gives SunSport a secret glimpse into his dossier on the Wardley fight.It includes a breakdown on tactics, feedback from Dubois’ sessions and a scouting report on Wardley’s previous bouts.
Ali said: “So my key component is to focus on dissecting the opponent.
“So we basically look into all the analysis and get that, and then what we do, we collect all the data and then bring it over to the head coach and some fighters to see.So it makes it easier on the night to know exactly what the strengths or weaknesses are.”
Dubois also conducts his session with a heart rate monitor on— so his team can track every inch of his training.Physio Tom Kopelman said: “We monitor Daniel’s heart rate every day during training and that’s to look at his work rate and his fitness levels.“But also how he recovers day to day to monitor how he’s responding to everything that he’s doing.”Ali added: “There’s a lot of science involved in boxing. And we apply that.
“We apply that myself but we also have doctors to kind of feed us all that information about the fighter’s psychology, the biomechanics, the strengths, the weaknesses. It all plays out on the night, really.”It is not the first time Dubois, 28, and Wardley, 31, have shared the ring.
They sparred just after Wardley turned professional in 2016 —following just four bouts on the unlicensed white collar scene.
But it is also not the first time Dubois’ camp have gone up against Wardley’s.
They masterminded a stunning September 2024 win over Anthony Joshua— where Davison and Wylie led the corner.
But Ali said: “I mean it’s totally two different fighters.“Joshua is a two-time former heavyweight world champion, so there was a lot to work with on him.However, Fabio, I mean we looked at a lot of Fabio, he reminded me of a guy who’s never been to university.However, has actually mastered his trade, so he’s probably just gone in without a degree. That’s the way I describe him.
“But credit to him what he’s done, achieved. There is a lot that we’ve seen and a lot that Daniel will do on the night.”Wardley comes into the bout having dramatically stopped Joseph Parker, 34, in 11 rounds last October to win the WBO interim title. —Sun.
