Trainer Don Charles Rules Out Pre-Fight Party Ahead of Dubois vs Wardley
Trainer Don Charles, who played a key role in Daniel Dubois' rise to the IBF heavyweight title, has confirmed that there will be no party hosted by Dubois' team before his upcoming fight against WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
Dubois, 28, faced criticism after his July fight with Oleksandr Usyk when he arrived at the venue around 20:15 BST, less than two hours before his ringwalk. This was amid reports that a gathering had taken place at his home earlier that day. The British boxer was stopped in the fifth round, losing his IBF title to Usyk. Following the defeat, Dubois' team conducted an internal review to understand why the party had been allowed to occur.
Interestingly, a similar gathering had been held prior to Dubois' victory over Anthony Joshua in September 2024, when he knocked out the former champion in the ninth round.
"It's not ideal to have a gathering on the day of the fight," Charles told BBC Radio 5 Live's Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast.
"I'm not here to justify but they did the same gathering prior to the Joshua fight - that gave birth to the ringwalk.
"They tried to replicate that but it didn't work. I can guarantee there will be no gathering before this fight."
Dubois Targets Second World Title Against Wardley
Dubois aims to become a two-time world heavyweight champion when he faces fellow Briton Fabio Wardley at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on Saturday.
Reflecting on the previous gathering, Dubois joked about celebrating more extensively this time but insisted that the earlier party did not affect his performance against Usyk.
"It wasn't why I lost," Dubois said.
"I went up against one of the greatest fighters of this generation and I'm glad I have the experience of sharing the ring with him twice."
Following the loss at Wembley, Dubois and Charles ended their 18-month working relationship but reunited later in 2025. Since then, they have been collaborating to help Dubois return to the top of the sport.
"He was ticking over and training," Charles explained.
"He went on holiday for five weeks to get a bit of sun and went to Tony [Sims] before coming back to familiar territory.
"There was not a lot of talking, there was a lot of embracing. I love all my fighters and when he walked in with his father we embraced each other and I said 'welcome home'."
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