Daniel Dubois needed only two rounds to settle his rematch with Fabio Wardley in London, flooring the challenger inside the opening 20 seconds before forcing a second-round stoppage to retain his WBO heavyweight title.
The result gave Dubois a second straight win over Wardley and pushed his professional record to 24 wins, 23 by knockout, against three defeats. For a 29-year-old champion whose first fight with Wardley went 11 rounds in Manchester, it was a far cleaner ending the second time around.
Dubois takes control early
The first bout between the two had been a far more difficult night for Dubois. Five months earlier, he had to climb off the canvas twice before dethroning Wardley in an 11-round contest in Manchester. In the rematch, there was no such drama from the start.
Dubois sent Wardley down within the first 20 seconds in London and never allowed the challenger to recover enough to build momentum. By the second round, Wardley’s corner had seen enough and threw in the towel, ending the contest and confirming Dubois as the winner again.
What it means for Dubois
The victory strengthens Dubois’ standing as Britain’s leading heavyweight in the article’s framing and adds another decisive finish to his record. It also showed a different kind of statement from the first fight: not a comeback under pressure, but a fast, forceful defense that left little doubt about his intentions.
After the fight, Dubois said Wardley was “a great boy” for coming back for the rematch, but added that it was his time and his era. He also pointed to the mindset he brought into the ring, saying that with his back against the wall the first time, this time he and his team went out to show they meant business.
For Wardley, the defeat marked his second loss in the rivalry. For Dubois, it was a sharper and more decisive answer to the same opponent — and a clear retention of the WBO title in London.
