Fabio Wardley has promised Oleksandr Usyk that he is working on his jab, but throwing more left hands will not stop Daniel Dubois from closing his right eye again. Wardley needs an answer for Dubois’ jab before worrying about showcasing his own on October 17 at London’s O2 Arena.
“Fabio, where is your jab? You never jab. Only right hand,” Usyk said.
“With all [Usyk’s] done and all he’s achieved with his background, you can’t dismiss what he’s saying,” Wardley told DAZN Boxing. “But also I’m not him. I haven’t had the schooling he’s had, the background he’s had, the timing that he’s had. Mr Usyk, I’m working on my jab. I promise. I will try and do better for you.
“Adjustments need to be made. I have done it before against Frazer Clarke. I’ve proven I can change.”
Wardley is correct about the difference between them. Usyk’s jab operates inside a complete system of footwork, angles, feints and distance control built over hundreds of amateur fights. Wardley cannot reproduce that education during one training camp by increasing his lead-hand output.
His greater concern should be what comes back at him. Wardley repeatedly stood directly in front of Dubois and attempted to slip punches with his chin raised. He was not tucking behind his shoulder or using a high guard to absorb and redirect the jab. That upright posture left his face exposed to Dubois’ ramrod left hand.
Once the swelling impaired Wardley’s vision, Dubois no longer had to search for him. Every jab made the next one harder to detect, while the right hands behind it became increasingly dangerous.
The physical damage was also connected to Wardley’s feet. By the fifth round, they had flattened out and Dubois was forcing him toward the ropes. Wardley lost the room needed to make the champion reset, leaving him trapped at the range where Dubois could jab without taking a counter from a new angle.
Lateral exits matter more in the rematch than a busier left hand. Dubois has struggled against movement and sharp counters thrown over his jab. He is far more comfortable when an opponent remains at mid-range and agrees to trade lead hands with him.
Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) risks turning the rematch into exactly that contest. Trying to install a disciplined, conventional jab may disturb the unusual rhythm that made him dangerous in Manchester.
His early success came through sudden explosions and unconventional angles. The looping right hand dropped Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) twice, including once within the opening ten seconds. Dubois knew it was Wardley’s primary weapon and still failed to read its delivery.
Wardley points to his rematch with Frazer Clarke as proof that he can change. That adjustment produced a first-round knockout, but an explosive blitz did not require him to sustain a tactical plan across twelve rounds.
Beating Dubois demands something different. Wardley must maintain his defensive posture, move after punching and escape the ropes even when fatigue begins stripping away his discipline. One early right hand may finish Dubois, but Wardley cannot build the entire plan around landing it before his eye closes.
Usyk identified a weakness, but Wardley risks treating the jab as a complete cure. Unless he fixes his posture and ring position first, throwing more left hands will only keep him directly in front of the punch that began his physical collapse.