Daniel Dubois refused a fist bump from world champion Fabio Wardley during a heated news conference in London ahead of their WBO heavyweight title fight on May 9 at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena. The moment came after weeks of verbal sparring between camps, with Wardley promising to 'flatten' the challenger and Dubois vowing 'victory by knockout, by any means necessary.'

Wardley, with 19 stoppages in 20 wins, will make the first defense of his WBO crown after being upgraded from interim champion. Dubois, 28, is rebounding from a devastating knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk last summer. Both fighters boast knockout ratios of 95%, setting up a high-stakes collision between two of Britain's biggest punchers.

Managerial tensions spilled over when Dubois' representative Sam Jones predicted a quick win, prompting Wardley's camp to reference Dubois' recent training changes and three stoppage defeats. Promoter Frank Warren called it 'all the ingredients of an amazing event,' noting the winner could earn a stadium fight. The snubbed fist bump became the latest headline moment for Dubois, who previously made waves by banging the table before facing Anthony Joshua.