Sam Jones Urges Fabio Wardley To Delay Daniel Dubois Rematch

The boxing manager believes Wardley may need a year away from the ring after his stoppage loss to Dubois

Sam Jones believes Fabio Wardley should consider taking a lengthy break before returning to the ring following his stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois. The boxing manager said the punishment Wardley absorbed raises questions about whether a rematch this year is the right move.

Wardley activated his rematch clause after losing his WBO heavyweight title to Dubois in April, but Jones isn’t convinced another fight should be at the top of the former champion’s priority list right now.

The bout was one of the toughest fights of Wardley’s career. He dropped Dubois early and had success in the opening rounds before the momentum swung heavily in the champion’s favor. By the later stages, Wardley was absorbing sustained punishment before the fight was stopped in the 11th round.

Jones questioned whether Wardley should even be considering a return before the end of the year.

“I think Fabio Wardley is the hardest man you’ll ever meet. But is he going to be ready for this year to have a rematch? Remember how barbaric that fight was?” said Jones to Boxing King Media.

“His nose was bad. He took a bit of a beating, especially towards the end of the fight. Is he going to be ready to fight Daniel again by the end of the year? Who knows?”

Jones made it clear he has no doubts about Wardley’s willingness to fight again. He described the former champion as a warrior and said he fully understands why Wardley activated the rematch clause.

At the same time, he suggested emotion and toughness should not be the only factors guiding the decision.

“I do think Fabio shouldn’t box for the rest of the year. If I was looking after Fabio, I’d be like, ‘Listen mate, you need a year out to regroup.'”

Whether Wardley follows that advice is another matter.

Wardley activated the rematch clause following the defeat, though no date has been announced for a second fight with Dubois. The heavyweight champion has recently been linked to several potential opponents while the situation remains unresolved.