Daniel Dubois overcame two knockdowns—the first occurring just ten seconds into the fight—to dethrone a brave but battered Fabio Wardley in the eleventh round of a thrilling heavyweight classic, securing his status as a two-time world champion.
Wardley, a fellow Briton, floored Dubois with a clean right hand early in the opening round and dropped him again in the third. However, Dubois regrouped and unleashed relentless heavy shots. Wardley, his nose damaged and one eye swollen shut, staggered around the ring but refused to go down, continuing to fire back.
As the contest grew increasingly brutal, the referee stepped in and halted the fight. A devastated Wardley sank to his knees as Dubois celebrated capturing the WBO heavyweight title.
“It was a war, thank you Fabio for that, thank you. I know I’ve got heart, bundles of heart. I’m a warrior in there,” Dubois told DAZN. “I had to get back up, bounce it off and come back harder. I’m a warrior.”
Throughout the week leading up to the fight, Dubois’ mentality had been questioned. The 28-year-old silenced his critics with a display of heart and power. This victory, his 23rd professional win, reasserted his place at the top of the division. Wardley, 31, suffered his first loss in 22 bouts.
With knockout power on both sides, the fight lived up to its pre-fight hype. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that a rematch clause is in place.
Dubois arrived at the venue an hour later than the champion due to Manchester traffic, making a brisk, business-like ringwalk. Wardley, making his first appearance since being upgraded to world champion, soaked in the atmosphere with a leisurely entrance. Draped in an Ipswich Town Football Club robe, he received a warm reception from the 18,000-strong crowd.
Combined, the two fighters had 42 wins, 40 by knockout. The anticipation was palpable. Wardley stayed true to his promise to start early, dropping Dubois with a flush right hand. Dubois winked at his corner but looked shell-shocked, soon wrestling Wardley to the ground as both swung wildly.
Many expected Dubois to impose himself early. Considered the better technical boxer, he regrouped and landed a right in the second round. Momentum shifted again in the third when Wardley, sharp with his overhand right and uppercuts, sent Dubois wobbling. Dubois took a knee and survived the count before firing back with a right hand that rocked Wardley.
The fighters and fans struggled to catch a breath. Trainer Don Charles urged Dubois to lean on his jab, and Dubois followed that instruction to take control. His left eye became swollen, but Wardley’s face appeared a mess as Dubois set up attacks with left jabs before landing his biggest shots in the fourth and sixth rounds.
Wardley, who worked in recruitment a decade ago, showed extraordinary chin and heart. Despite his legs trembling and blood pouring down his face, he refused to go down. Most fighters would have been withdrawn by their corner, but Wardley had built a reputation on dramatic comebacks. This time, however, it felt different.
The doctor inspected Wardley’s injuries before the eighth round and allowed him to continue. By the ninth, the referee looked ready to intervene as Wardley absorbed heavy punishment. Doctors again allowed Wardley to continue before the tenth. The stoppage finally came in the eleventh, ending a classic bout.
