Promoters have floated a lineup packed with recognizable names for the rumored Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card on December 11 in Cardiff, yet the actual competitive substance is largely missing.

EverythingBoxing reporter Darshan Desai floated these options next to Bam Rodriguez vs. Christian Medina, Manny Pacquiao vs. Joe Cordina, and Deontay Wilder vs. Jai Opetaia. While these pairings remain unconfirmed proposals with plenty of prior chatter, most prioritize nostalgia over genuine drama.

Slotting Huni against either British heavyweight gives the card legitimate substance. Huni’s hand speed and volume punching create a sharp stylistic clash with Riakporhe’s raw power. Taking on Adeleye delivers similar intrigue, forcing the Londoner to solve a polished technician who keeps the work rate relentless. Both matchups stand firmly on their own athletic merit.

Pacquiao versus Cordina feels downright reckless. The Filipino legend turns 48 less than a week after the event. His historic resume explains why Netflix wants his face on the broadcast, but that star power cannot disguise how unappealing this pairing is in the ring. Cordina gains zero sporting credibility by beating up an aging icon. Watching a diminished legend take heavy blows serves no purpose on a show that already guarantees massive viewership.

Bam Rodriguez stepping in with Medina creates a separate issue. With trainer Robert Garcia openly floating a delay until spring 2027 for a Naoya Inoue clash, booking Medina frustrates fans eager for the pound-for-pound showdown. Inoue is already eyeing a leap to featherweight, leaving no room for stalling. Taking a safe bout against Medina reinforces the belief that Bam’s corner is dodging the definitive fight. Blowing out another overmatched opponent solves nothing.

Wilder versus Opetaia keeps popping up as well, but fans have already analyzed that pairing to death.

Fury and Joshua give organizers a captive global audience. Rather than padding the undercard with empty nostalgia, delivering real heavyweight scrap like Huni against Riakporhe or Adeleye gives paying subscribers the competitive grit they deserve.

Daniel Dubois has been ranked Britain’s number one heavyweight ahead of Tyson Fury, Fabio Wardley and Anthony Joshua by former Klitschko manager Bernd Boente, who delivered his verdict exclusively to World Boxing News ahead of Saturday’s rematch.

Boente, who will be ringside for DAZN DACH, places Dubois above Fury in second, Wardley in third and Joshua in fourth.

The German boxing pundit also sees Dubois as the slight favorite to defeat Wardley again, with concerns over the challenger’s recurring facial damage adding another dimension to the fight.

Dubois Ranked Above Fury and AJ

Asked by WBN to rank Britain’s leading heavyweights, Boente delivered the following order:

1. Daniel Dubois
2. Tyson Fury
3. Fabio Wardley
4. Anthony Joshua

Boente’s assessment puts Dubois above two former world heavyweight champions in Fury and Joshuawith Wardley also ahead of the latter.

Explaining his prediction for Saturday’s rematch, Boente said:

“I see Daniel Dubois as the slight favorite in the fight. I believe he will try to pick up where he started from round four on by controlling the distance behind his excellent jab, using combinations, and maintaining better defense right from the start.

“On the other hand, Fabio Wardley has the punching power to end the fight early. I think that will be his plan too, but he no longer has the element of surprise on his side.”

Wardley’s Facial Damage

Wardley faces another punishing encounter, with talk of the challenger potentially retiring after the fight due to the constant facial damage he has suffered.

A cut across the bridge of Wardley’s nose has a tendency to reopen in every fight, while his eyes are also prone to cuts and significant swelling. Both could become factors in another damaging heavyweight battle.

Boente believes Wardley must make significant adjustments if he is to reverse the result.

“Fabio needs to try to disrupt Dubois’ rhythm. He cannot box as one-dimensionally as he did in the first fight, where he mostly threw only single punches. He needs to use his jab more, throw combinations, be more mobile, and pay closer attention to his defense.”

Whatever happens Saturday night, the rematch promises fireworks, with both heavyweights capable of ending the contest with one punch.

Kabayel Wants Dubois or Hrgovic

Boente also revealed that WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel and his longtime trainer, Sükrü Aksu, want a major fight following Kabayel’s November 28 defense against Nelson Hysa.

Having worked closely with the German heavyweight and his team, Boente told WBN:

“Definitely. I know for a fact that both Agit Kabayel and his long-time coach, Sükrü Aksu, are absolutely keen to face either Dubois or Hrgovic next—following the voluntary title defense against Hysa —which would set the stage for another huge stadium event in Germany.”

The comments follow Boente’s exclusive prediction to WBN earlier this week that Kabayel would stop Hysa within five rounds.

For now, Boente’s attention turns to Saturday, when he will be ringside in his usual role as a DAZN DACH heavyweight pundit.

Dubois has his backing as Britain’s number one and the slight favorite, but Wardley has the power to make the rematch another explosive encounter.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Having sparred multiple rounds with Daniel Dubois and fought Fabio Wardley twice, Frazer Clarke did not hesitate to say who hits the hardest.

Both heavyweights possess tremendous power, of course, but it was Wardley who remained on his feet after scoring two early knockdowns during their first encounter in May.

In fact, it was two relatively glancing blows that put Dubois down in rounds one and three, only for ‘Dynamite’ to get back up, recover, and start dominating large portions of their contest.

He did so by utilising a thudding jab, while also landing hurtful-looking power shots that seemed as if they would trouble the majority of heavyweights.

It is therefore a testament to Wardley’s toughness that he managed to hang in there, just long enough to get stopped on his feet in round 11.

As a result, WBO champion Dubois has been made a sizable favourite ahead of their rematch, which takes place this Saturday at London’s O2 Arena.

Many feel he has the superior fundamentals and perhaps even an edge in power, with fellow Brit Clarke telling talkSPORT that ‘Triple D’ is a “massively” bigger puncher.

This is in spite of the fact that the Olympic bronze medallist found himself on the receiving end of a particularly brutal first-round finish against Wardley in 2024.

Earlier that year, the pair had boxed to a thrilling draw for the British title, only for their rematch to surprisingly end in one-sided fashion.

Yet still, Clarke would back Dubois – who he has sparred as both a professional and amateur – to win a competition of who can generate the most power.