5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Wardley v Dubois: Inside the Dubois Camp

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

Can Daniel Dubois become a two-time heavyweight world champion? He certainly believes he can, as he sits down with Buncey ahead of Saturday’s huge fight with Fabio Wardley. Dubois discusses his preparations and why he feels he can reclaim a world title. We also hear from his trainer Don Charles, who explains why he believes Dubois is stronger, sharper and ready to prove himself.

This is Five Live Boxing. So the heavyweight buildup continues in Manchester. Yesterday it was an open top bus. Today, it's a public workout in a sandpit in the middle of town. Honest, I'm not kidding you. Yesterday we heard from Fabio Wardley. Today, we hear from Daniel Dubois and his coach, Don Charles. Daniel's on a mission to regain the heavyweight championship of the world.

It's big fight week in Manchester. It's a heavyweight week. I'm Steve Bunce, and this is Five Live. live boxing. So sometimes you get sent to interview fighter, sometimes you're in a basement. Like if you go and do Scott Welsh down on the South Coast, it's below sea level. And other times, you can be on the 38th floor once did Nassim Hamid and Brendan Ingo on the 38th floor in New York. But what I love about coming out to the countryside to Don Charles's retreat is that there are horses. And in the background, there's Wembley, there's all sorts of other stuff.

And today the sun's come out. I've got to tell you, Don, today would be a good day to sit, around and talk about horses and talk about life and stuff. But we are supposed, we are going to talk about Daniel Dubois. First of all, how are you, Don? I'm doing my define. When the weather is like this, I'm good. Put the smile on your face. Exactly, and everybody's moods. Everybody's in a good mood. Don, you're back with Daniel. At a brief period when he wasn't with you. He didn't have a fight, but he wasn't with you, and he's back with you. I've got a simple question, really. You know him probably better than any other trainer. How does he look? How is Daniel Daniel? Yeah, Daniel, like you quite rightly said, I've got to know the kid really well over the past.

This is actually the third year that we've been working together, irrespective of the break that we had. I've got to know, I knew the kid before, and I know him even better now, as time's gone on. Yeah, he's not just, you might look at someone physically, they look okay, so mentally they're not all right. We spoke about this off-camera. Of course, yeah. But I really genuinely believe his head is okay.

Because you never know. After a loss like that to Ushik last summer, that's a big loss, yeah. Devastating loss to the fighter, to the team. But I've done all the, with my experience, I know all the signs whether someone is all right or not. So you can see, you could literally tell by the way he walks through the door, the way he puts his bag down, the way he says hello to the people in the gym.

There's all sorts of little tails and signs, as they say, in poker. Correct. You know, if you know somebody, Yeah, of course. Yeah. And I can see all the things. It's like business as usually. He's fine.

It really is fine. And it helps when you come from, have a family background that wear people that love you. And I think every boxer would tell you the same thing. You really need that family, the solid family background or friends or whatever it may be that. People can trust. That keeps you to the ground, yeah? When the chips are down, the people around you are so important.

Obviously, it comes from a very solid family and that helps a lot. I mean, I get that impression of being around Daniels. He'll always look for someone. His father, his sister, his brother's always been... He'll always have someone with him or he'll be looking for them. And it does that really with you as well.

I've seen him do it with you. Like, try and search you out and find exactly where you are during the day or when he's doing stuff. It's called trust, you know, the people he trusts. If he comes into this gym now, if I'm not here, that will throw him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, the first question is,

ask my colleague, brother Ian, where's Don because that's a that person that is a focal point isn't it because he's walking for the door he needs to see you

he needs to hear you then he needs to spend some time but he's right so after the fight with Usik he left he was going elsewhere and he decided to spend some time

with Tony Sims that didn't work out for every reason and he came back to you how long was he away for five months five months and what had he done

in that period did he tell Do you tell you what he's... I mean, I'll speak to him in a moment, but just won't... It's just taking over, training. He went away on holiday for us... He went away for a good five weeks. That's good.

Prior to going to Tony's gym. I'm pleased with that. I like that. Yeah, so exactly. So he got a bit of sun. He went to somewhere sunny with his family. And he went to Tony's... And obviously, environments.

He probably wanted to come back to his familiar territory, which is... Because he likes familiar, doesn't he? Yes. He does. That's the one thing I've known about Daniel over the years is that he likes familiar. He likes to see and do the same stuff. How was it when he came back through the door for the first time?

Yeah, to be honest, someone's asked me this before. And quite simply, there was not a lot of talking. There was a lot of embracing. You know, when I say, I love all my fighters. I love this kid. Yeah. And when he walked in with his father, we didn't need to say much. We just embraced each other.

I said to him, welcome home. And we just embraced it. And it's real. It's real. Because you have been, I know it's only, three years is a good time, don't we? In modern boxing, working with someone for three years, there's a long time. But it wasn't like you had a 30 years of it. But during that three years, you did go on a rollercoaster, didn't he?

Starting in Poland and ending at Wembley. I mean, if you don't mind me, Sanza, that was two and a half, three hectic years. It's been, I haven't even had time to recover. Sometimes I sit at home, I'm thinking, wow, did this happen? So much has happened, yeah, and all the ups and downs that you quite rightly, said the first introduction, baptism of fire. In front of 50,000 people in Poland. Yeah, in Roslov.

You know, again, I'm a very daring man. We dared to be great. And we came up short in Poland. And we regrouped, went on a brilliant run. Yeah. Against all-laws. Yeah. One of the great, all-time great British heavyweight runs.

Yeah. In my opinion. And then we came up against guess what? Usik again. Daniel's lost, he's had five fights since he's been, I've been training him. He's lost twice to the same guy. Yeah. If you don't mind me saying so, those five fights are five monster fights.

They are indeed. Two of them are massive stadium fights. The other two in Saudi, he's meant to lose. He's meant to lose to Big Babymila. He's meant to lose to unbeaten Philip Hurgovic. You know that. He's meant to lose these fights. According to the audience.

According to the audience. According to, you know, he was thrown in to Sincoros or something. He was thrown in to Sincoros. swim. Correct. And he swam brilliant. And then he's against AJ. He swum brilliant. Correct. Correct. What a role. Anyway, listen, you just hold on, don't go anywhere, Don. He's also caught up with Daniel and I basically posed the same question to him. Just, it's been a whirlwind couple of years. I started at the right time. My dad got me in a sport at the right time to be here, why I am today. Because in the 70s and 80s, there would have just been

Joe Bognom and Frank Vruno. You'd have no, you'd have no rivals, no Brits to fight. I know. It's booming, isn't it? It's crazy. I'm glad it is. Dan, how are you? Because, you know, you was just talking to Don Charles earlier, and we're going through the last three years, you know, starting in Poland with the fight against Uc, then the two fights in Saudi, then the incredible night with AJ, then last summer. Dan, that's a roller coaster by anybody's estimation, man. This must be the top, the, must be in my prime now. I'll say you in your prime now. I think we are at our prime now. What fights, hey? Great, huh? What crazy fights?

Yeah, great fights, isn't it? It's been like they didn't expect, unexpected and now I'm here again that challenging for another belt, so. And do you feel, are you a better thought, is Daniel Dubra in front of me now a better fighter than the Daniel Dubra from two years ago, three years ago?

Yeah, definitely. I feel like I'm proved just physically, mentally, and just, I feel like we've gotten the training just right now. We're not overworking like I did in early days. I'm just doing it right. And are you happier? And it's an odd thing, you know,

because happy fight is a dangerous fight. Are you happy? Happy, yeah, it has been as a fighter, I think. In that little run of fights there, especially the two Ussick fights and then the AJ fight and then the Gerald Big Baby Miller fight, the Hergovich fight, five fights like that consecutive. That's like, you know, Lennox had five fights like that sometimes.

Not often. That's a rare five grouping. That's like old school style, isn't it? Like Lennox was fighting Ray Mercer and all those type of fighters. The Vandaholefield, Tyson, and all the top guys. Shannon Briggs. It only makes you a better fighter. That was going to be my next question.

Having that competition makes you a better fighter. And that's why you feel you were a better fighter now and you were three years ago, four years ago. Yeah, definitely. I feel like I need to just get it all right on the night now that I've had that experience. With Fabio I don't know how much you've seen

and been around Fabio but he is a guy that's he came from white collar so no amateur experience but he's a guy that's improved with every fight and you can see the improvement he's beating everyone

that's put in front of him so yeah he has he has proved you know where yeah where he belongs where he is now but I'm you know he hasn't fought me yet

and then, yeah, just I can't wait to get in the ring and take my belt back. And are you that way, since you walked back through the door with Don's after the period, the trial period with Tony Sims? Have you felt that way

since you walked back in this gym? I just can't wait to get in the ring. Yeah, it's all meant to be. I feel like as soon as I come here, we get the title shot, and it's just like, like how I had that, went on that run, that form from Miller and that.

It feels like the same sort of thing happening again. but yeah I'm just yeah it all feels right I just need to stay discipline and focus and do you sense that in yourself when you say sparring or just literally when you're in the gym

do you sense that you've got that old feeling back well it's not I'm a man of the future that was in the past now so I don't even go by that but it's good to feel like you're in the right place and where you're at

you're comfortable and it's working we're working towards a goal and you talk about being a man of the future then i know that fighters don't like to look past fights but past this fight for the winner there's some massive fights out there there there's a lot of that there's a lot of action out there a lot of men there's what is it's about 15 top heavyweights yeah and you know frank the way frank is he could just throw make a damn unification or something you know he's he's a magic man so yeah one fight at a time it's all i'm just grateful for this opportunity first to be and

No, without trying to look past Fabio, is there a heavyweight on the scene now or coming through that you'd like to fight? Or maybe fight again? Is there one? You know, is there one that you think, you know what, I'd like to fight him or I'd like to fight him again?

Is there one? Whoever, whoever they put in front of me, whoever they think my team thinks is best and it's the most reward, yeah, we'll go for it. So this, this, this, this, this, Dubois here and you look at peace, you look calm, you look comfortable. You're just waiting for that walk to the ring to look across at Fabio.

Yeah, jump in or jump on him straight away from the off and, you know. Now before the last fight then there was a lot made about that gathering at your house before you left for the fight. Some people were calling it a party, some people just calling it a gathering. Because I haven't spoken to you since that night. What was it? We're going to have a bigger party this time. We're gonna have a bigger party this time, brother.

Don't worry about it. You have a two night party before you fight. Yeah. We've got a whole week, all week bender. That wasn't, that wasn't a factor in defeat, was it? No, that wasn't why you lost? It wasn't why I lost at all. People like talking shit.

That wasn't why I lost. It's, you know, I went up and won the greatest fight of this generation. Absolutely. Yeah. I'm glad I've got that experience with sharing the ring with him twice though. Yeah. So now I can go in there. and really show my pedigree

in what I've picked up over the years. You know what then? It seems to me, right, that you've been around so long but you're still so young and you've been in big fights for so long but you're still so young. Remember going to Miami?

Exactly, I do remember you going to Miami. Trevor Bryan, in that crazy place? With Don King on the stage and all those heavyweight champions. What was that like, eh? That's my first world fight, wasn't it? Yeah, I know. And poor Trevor, you know,

he was unbeaten, he was a good fight, It's just smashed him. Good history, eh? Yeah. Do you watch some of your fight? It feels like I've had two lives. No, damn, you've taken the words out of my mouth. It's like there's two Daniel Dubois, man. That just seems like forever ago.

Do you watch your fights back in? No, I don't watch them back, but I have good memories of them. Yeah. Great moments. Because Miami, it just rained for two weeks as well. Do you remember? It just rained. Yeah, yeah.

It's brilliant, man. Yeah. So it's been a really busy heavyweight season. Moses Atama taking care of Germain Franklin and then Del Boy and Deonti Wilder

going 12 rounds in a blood bath and then of course Tyson Fury getting good 12 rounds under his belt and in a couple of weeks it's going to be

it's going to be Alexander Usick against Rickoverhoven what have you made of what I'm calling heavyweight season so far I'm glad there's a lot of action at the heavyweight

division and a lot of future matches lined up So it's all, I've got to take care of my business first. That's the most important thing for you. But it's exciting to see, just take from a fighter standpoint and a bit of a fan standpoint, it's just exciting to see everywhere it matches. In stadiums and packed out of rooms.

Yeah, yeah. That's what you want, eh? The business is booming. My turn next. So that was, Daniel, you heard from Daniel. You don't have to hear from him. You hear from him all the time. Going into this fight, Fabio Wardley, we know what Wardley is all about.

He's all about heart, determination, desire, never ever write him off, even if there's 10 seconds left on the clock. Is this, in some ways, the most important fight of Daniel's career? Well, every fight is the most important, you know, including this one, we're going to, yeah, literally, we're at the level Daniels boxing app, campaigning at.

Every fight is a cup final, yeah? No easy nights are there. It's quite daunting, isn't it? We haven't, since I've been working with Daniel, There's been no, like, a tune of a fight. Yeah, they've all been championship. You missed out on the early part of the early. You missed out on the easy night's time.

Correct, correct, you know. So, you know, listen, it's daunting, but we embrace it. Both the fight time and the team, we embrace this. We feel privileged, honor to be campaigning at this level. There's a lot of pressure that comes with it. But when you succeed, my goodness, is it sweet when you succeed? And I believe he's going to be victorious on the 9th of May. So as the weeks have passed since he walked back through the door and you hugged and started talking,

not that you weren't talking, he started talking again inside this gym, have you been seeing things that are encouraging you? Have you been maybe working on some things? And has it all been in the gym where have you had some time sitting out by the horses in the sunshine? Yeah, we speak, you know, we speak on the phone, we speak when it gets here. There's been, as you know in life, the boxing's like, it's an art, yeah? If you were to go and do martial art, they grade you. There's a reason.

They use the grading system to tell you it's evolution. You keep evolving. Boxing, I treat boxing the same way. So basically, the things I taught Daniel, let's say two years ago, for instance, some technical stuff. I've only started seeing some of them now. So it takes time to mature. It's like cheese. To mature.

Yeah. So a lot of the things I showed him when we first started. I'm only seeing them now. So it's a natural progression. So I'm really excited because there's a lot of, the version they're going to get. Remember, Daniel's only lost twice to the same guy, Usik, and Usik is the South Pole.

Everyone else Daniel has beat is orthodox. Donald doesn't have no problem with fighting orthodox opponents. And does it have any problem facing them if they're big, really big, like Big Baby Miller, smart like Hergovich? Hard-hitting Hergevich. And punch like AJ. Because Wardley might be a combination of all of those in that sense. Yes, he is. Yes, he is.

We're a serious campaigner. We respect him. We recognize what he possesses, Wardley, respect it. But Wardley has not faced anyone remotely like Donald Dabua. Now, it's interesting about Wardley because you talk about respect because Wardley always talks, jokes about it. He says, no one gives me respect. Everyone just thinks some, everyone just thinks I'm calling from accounts,

you know, who's just a white collar boxer. And he's, you know, Wardley's improved beyond belief. Yes, he has. He doesn't even look like the guy from three years ago. No, he doesn't. He's improved a lot And we recognise that And we've, like I've always said

We've made provisions To accommodate to contain what he has Has he I hope he's preparing To accommodate what Daniel brings You know It's a terrific fight Wardley against DeVois

It is just terrific I thought that Fabio After that Joseph Parker War Might have chosen an easier night As a homecoming I mean I commend him For taking this Correct correct

as a voluntary. As a voluntary? Yeah. Daniel Dubroar's a voluntary. Well, you know, there must know something we don't know. The fight is signed, so I can say this. If the roles was reversed, I would never choose Donald Dubois as a voluntary. Well said.

No, I wouldn't. Because Daniel Dubois is still too young, still too dangerous, and still too unpredictable, done. It's too hard. It hits too hard. It's too hard. It's too hard. On the week of a fight, and this is real person and stuff, During the week of a fight, you tend to take a bit of a backward step.

You don't have to live on his shoulder the whole time, leading to all sorts of confusion and rumours. But when you're with him in the week of a fight, are there certain things that you like to see? And were there any signs before the two Ussick fights? Not that you knew from the first UcSk fight, but the second Ucic fight? Were there any things in that build-up to the second UcSSik fight

that you didn't like? Didn't like the maybe the way he looked, the way he came in, the way he didn't look you in the eye or something? Were there certain tales that you saw? You know, Donald Du Boer, if he were not a successful heavyweight boxer, he should go and take up poker. Yeah. Because it's so hard.

That's a great line, yeah. So hard to read the young man. Yeah. I see some people trying, Pilate Hurgovich, Baby Miller, trying to, like, get into him. I've been good luck. No chance. Yeah, because his facial expression never changes.

You never know. Yeah. So the question you asked me, no, Steve, although I know him well, yeah. Okay. I spend a lot of time with this young man. It's hard to really pick up. No, I didn't pick up anything that would suggest that.

You weren't worried when the first bell sounded. No, we were excited because we'd made game plans to get a victory over this. And that's how we thought the first couple of hours. Now, Don, there was lots of stuff came out afterwards about the alleged party at the house. It must have mentioned that's called gathering. It was a gathering. The gathering at house, the sending off gathering, which was either this ridiculous thing or just the normal house,

gathering to send him off. What was your take on that? Were you there? No, no. What was your take on that when you heard about it afterwards? It's not ideal. It's not ideal to have a gathering. It's not ideal to have a gathering on the day of the fight. If I could, I'm not here to justify it. The only understanding one can take sanity to give me sanity is that they did the same gathering prior to the AJ fight.

And no one complained then, did they? Because the ring walk and everything, that gave birth to the ring the ringwalk that everybody's going on a lot about. So they only merely tried to replicate that and it didn't work this time. So I guarantee you the listeners and that there'll be no gathering prior to this one.

No. To this one. And then after, let's assume he wins that it's back in that ridiculous... Well, two-time world champion. Back looking for, I don't know, maybe Fury, maybe a rematch of AJ. AJ still wants to fight him. I mean, who knows?

There's some big fights out there. We're in a, we're in a, the British heavyweight business is good enough. The global business is supersonic. Correct. Yeah, I mean, listen, one step at a time, one hurdle at a time. Yeah, it mustn't, it mustn't overlook the hurdle in front of you. Once we jump this one, I really truly believe. We've done many interviews, Steve, over the years.

And I've never not believed and nothing's changed. I truly believe that we're going to be, for a lot of reasons. Yeah, I believe my guy, Donald, was going to be victorious against. Fabio. Fabio's done, like I said, I've known him personally. I'm probably one of the only ones. If you go and listen to previous interviews I gave before the Parker fight, I'm probably one of the few people that said that he will, not only would he win, he will stop. People thought I was drinking alcohol. I don't drink alcohol. No, no, you don't. Yeah, so, no, I believe that we're going to be successful against Fabio. And then whatever happens after that, we're relishing the challenge. What a time I done. What a time to be, what a time to be in the British heavyweight boxing business. Yeah, it's very thriving, isn't it?

You know what, Don, now we should. We'll end the interview now and you and I will walk outside and we're doing a little bit of that horse whispering that we did 18 months ago. Don, listen, it's always a pleasure talking to you. Always for your time. Always, Steve. God bless. So that was Daniel Dubois and Don Charles

in conversation with me. Now, the week continues with Frank Warren tomorrow. He's the promoter. In fact, he's the heavyweight king of promoting at the moment. And Richie Woodall joins me on Friday. We sit down somewhere dark and break the fight down. How does Fabio win? How does Daniel win? Then on Saturday, 10pm, on 5 Live, the heavyweight championship of the world, Daniel Dubois against Fabio Wardley. What a great week. I'm Steve Bunce,

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