Daniel Dubois retained his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight title after stopping British rival Fabio Wardley in the second round at a sold-out O2 Arena in London on Saturday, October 17.
Dubois secured the technical knockout victory in four minutes and 21 seconds, delivering a commanding performance to avenge his dramatic first encounter with Wardley in May.
The champion made an immediate statement, dropping Wardley with a powerful right hand just 15 seconds into the opening round. It was the first knockdown of Wardley’s professional career.
Wardley recovered but struggled to contain Dubois, who continued to attack with heavy combinations and forced his opponent against the ropes. Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, appeared close to stopping the contest before the bell ended the round.
Dubois maintained the pressure in the second round, landing a series of unanswered punches as Wardley struggled to defend himself. Davison eventually threw in the towel at 2:21 of the round, bringing the fight to an end.
The statistics underlined Dubois’ dominance. He landed 60 punches from approximately 115 thrown, including 51 power shots, while Wardley managed just four connections before his corner stopped the contest.
The victory improved Dubois’ professional record to 24 wins and three defeats, with 23 victories by knockout. Wardley now has 20 wins, two defeats and one draw, with 19 knockouts. Both defeats in his career have come against Dubois by stoppage.
Speaking after the fight, Dubois said the victory marked his moment to establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division.
“Fabio is a great boy, coming in for the second time, but it was my time and my era. My back was against the wall the first time; this time we just had to go out there and show that we mean business. Are you not entertained?” he said.
Wardley accepted the defeat, saying there was no shame in losing while testing himself against the best. He also expressed his determination to learn from the experience and return stronger.
Attention has now shifted to a potential heavyweight unification contest after Dubois faced off with International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Filip Hrgović following the fight.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that discussions were underway for a possible clash between the two champions in early 2027.
