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'Last third of my career!' - Fabio Wardley on longevity, intelligence and breaking down Daniel Dubois
Wardley vs. Dubois: Only on DAZN PPV - TONIGHT
Fabio Wardley has been trying to drink his coffee for half-an-hour now, a paper Starbucks cup balanced precariously in his grasp.
The Ipswich fighter has run the full gamut of media commitments - photos, videos, the whole enchilada - with an easygoing grace.
Given that promotional duties are, for many fighters, a necessary evil, what is it that makes him take to it like a duck does to water?
Wardley grins, and takes a sip of his latte. "It's the fun bit," he says. "I get to talk about the fight and my favourite topic - myself!"
DAZN FACE OFF: Wardley vs. Dubois
Watch explosive encounter here
There is a hint of self-deprecation to his words, but the star has plenty of reason to pontificate on his own merits at length if he wants.
After all, beyond Oleksandr Usyk , Wardley is the only man in the world who can currently call himself a full heavyweight champion.
Last year's banner year, underscored by two high-wire wins over Justis Huni and Joseph Parker , handed him the WBO interim strap.
Usyk's decision to eschew a challenge subsequently earned him the real deal - and now, he mounts a first defence against Daniel Dubois .
Yet even in the first flush of success, Wardley already has one eye on the future - and just how much road he may have left to run.
"I'm probably in the last third of my career," he muses. "I've gone through the beginner stage, and out the back end of those growing-up tests.
"I'm peaking, I'm hitting my stride, and mixing it at the top level. But [longevity] means realising your peak, and when it's time to hang them up."
He takes another sip, and glances around, strangely pensive. "You need to have that awareness to know when it's the right time to check out."
'Still learning on the job, figuring things out'
Wardley's route to the summit of the sport has long been documented as unconventional, a white-collar man made good under the bright lights.
It has always been about more than that though, more than just a massive hook that has helped secure a devastating run through the ranks.
"It's never a quote-unquote boxing masterclass," he says, with a shrug, then shakes his head. "Don't get me wrong, I do go through moments.
"I'm still learning on the job, figuring things out. I've not got that same experience a lot of people have. But people miss how much I pay attention."
He gestures with his free hand. "I can go through all of my fights and tell you how I got the knockout by how I built to getting my opponent out of there.
"It's not just me winging a right hand and seeing where it lands. There's a whole process which goes under the radar because of the highlight reel."
His bout with Dubois takes him north for the first time, to Manchester's Co-op Live, a fast favourite for promoter Queensberry and Frank Warren.
A diehard Ipswich Town fan - Wardley has been celebrating their return to the Premier League - he expects to find a terrace-chant atmosphere to match.
"I'm really looking forward to it," he says, then gives a small chuckle. "Northern fans are a little bit different. I love a good, rowdy, get-stuck-in atmosphere."
Has he taken inspiration from the Tractor Boys? "Maybe more ambition. I don't want to let the lads down. I need to do my bit, so we chalk up a double."
'There's gaps and flaws to be exposed'
Much has been made by Dubois and his team that Wardley is yet to face the calibre of opponent that the former has shared the ring with so far.
Leaving aside the fact that the latter's win over ex-champion Parker last October disabuses that notion, the star does not seem too concerned.
"Look, there's a lot with Daniel that he does well," he notes. "And then, there's a lot of aspects that he doesn't do too well. I'm a boxing student.
"I think it goes under the radar how much I study and revise my opponents. There's a lot that we've seen that leaves gaps and flaws to be exposed."
Dubois arguably represents a more dangerous foe thanks to the way he was dismissed by Usyk when the pair met at Wembley Stadium last July.
Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
Wardley is perhaps too kind to suggest that his rival was outclassed by the Ukrainian in what was their second bout. But he has seen the holes.
"Some of those were exposed in the fights with Usyk," he adds, then smiles. "Some of those, I'll expose on Saturday night as well. That's the plan."
There will be respect, for Wardley at least. A snubbed press conference handshake has not dented his appreciation for Dubois and his hard graft.
At the same time, despite being the older man, he suggests his lack of an amateur grounding may give him an edge that the lack of years do not.
"I haven't been battered and bruised through the Team GB system, having to spar for rounds upon rounds and getting your head punched in," he notes.
He drains the coffee and grins. "Miles on the clock, I've got less in that sense. I'm a bit fresher, a bit lighter, and a bit newer to it all. To me, that's a benefit."
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
