Daniel Dubois made a ruthless statement at the O2 Arena in London, demolishing Fabio Wardley inside two rounds to retain his WBO heavyweight title and settle their rivalry once and for all. After needing 11 dramatic rounds to dethrone Wardley in Manchester five months ago, Dubois needed barely six minutes this time.
Daniel Dubois (Credits: BBC Sport)
From the opening bell, the 29-year-old champion was on the hunt. It took just 17 seconds for Wardley to hit the canvas, backed into a corner by a thudding straight right. The 19,000-strong sell-out crowd erupted as Dubois swarmed, unloading punishing combinations that left Wardley in deep trouble before the bell even sounded.
Trainer Ben Davison stood poised with a towel at the end of the first round, ready to spare his fighter after taking criticism for letting Wardley absorb too much punishment in their first meeting. The reprieve was brief. Early in round two, Dubois backed Wardley into the corner once again and unleashed another sustained barrage — and this time Davison threw the towel in, ending the contest.
My Time, My Era
Speaking after the fight, Dubois declared it his era: “Fabio is a great boy, coming in for the second time, but it was my time and my era. I had my intentions, bad intentions from the beginning.” He admitted his back was against the wall the first time, but this time his team wanted to show they meant business — and they did.
The victory extends Dubois’ professional record to 24 wins — 23 by knockout — with just three defeats, and 13 of his 24 wins have now come inside two rounds. For a fighter who lost to Oleksandr Usyk in 2023, bounced back with wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, then fell to Usyk again last year, back-to-back stoppages over Wardley cement his status as Britain’s leading active heavyweight.
Wardley’s Brave Gamble Fails
For Fabio Wardley, 31, it was a brutal end to a bold gamble. Having floored Dubois twice in their Manchester thriller, he had demanded this rematch — but concerns that he returned too soon after that punishment proved well-founded. His hands were low, his punches wild, and he never managed to replicate the fast start that won him the first fight.
“I have always thrown myself in with the best competitors out there, the best in the business, the biggest, hardest, meanest guys around, so there is no shame in a loss when you’re testing yourself against the best,” Wardley said graciously afterwards. It was the second defeat of his 23-fight career.
Among the famous faces ringside were Noel Gallagher, Paddy Considine, Rob Beckett and Luke Littler — all of whom witnessed a statement performance. With the Wardley chapter closed emphatically, lucrative nights await Dubois as he targets the biggest names in the heavyweight division.
Also Read: Dubois vs Wardley 2: Boxing Experts Predict Heavyweight Title Rematch at the O2 | Fury vs Joshua Tickets: Cheapest Seats Were £88.50 as Half a Million Fans Join Sell-Out Queue
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
