Fabio Wardley invokes rematch clause after losing WBO heavyweight title to Daniel Dubois in an 11th-round stoppage, despite surviving two early knockdowns.
New heavyweight champion climbed off the canvas twice before overwhelming Fabio Wardley in a battle that finally silenced his doubters“I was in there with a live dog and I loved it,” Daniel Dubois said in the early hours of Sunday morning as, looking suitably gladiatorial without a shirt, the new WBO world heavyweight champion reflected on the monumental battle he had just shared with the valiant Fabio Wardley in Manchester. “He came to win and it was a real crowd-pleaser. We had a great fight.”At ringside it had been a sobering privilege to see the courage and resolve of both men in a contest that captured the glory and the damage of boxing in equal measure. Dubois rose from the canvas twice, with the first knockdown coming a mere 10 seconds after the opening bell, but Wardley endured a sustained form of punishment which became increasingly worrying. He was a stricken and weaving figure at the end, refusing to succumb until the referee, Howard Foster, finally rescued him early in the 11th round. Continue reading...
Daniel Dubois fights back from two knockdowns to stop Fabio Wardley in an epic all-British WBO world heavyweight title fight.
Daniel Dubois faced questions over his heart and mentality before facing Fabio Wardley, but silenced his critics by overcoming adversity to become WBO heavyweight champion.
Daniel Dubois faced questions over his heart and mentality before facing Fabio Wardley, but silenced his critics by overcoming adversity to become WBO heavyweight champion.
Daniel Dubois stops Fabio Wardley in the 11th round of a brutal contest to take the WBO heavyweight title as observers ringside criticise an "uncomfortable watch".
Fabio Wardley took some significant punishment as Daniel Dubois beat him to take the WBO heavyweight title on Saturday. Should the fight have been stopped sooner?
Le boxeur de 28 ans retrouve ainsi une ceinture après avoir perdu le titre IBF contre l’Ukrainien Oleksandr Usyk en juillet 2025.
Dubois recovers from knockdown in opening secondsWardley knocks him down again but stopped in 11th Daniel Dubois completed his latest resurgence with brutal efficiency when he became the WBO world heavyweight champion after stopping Fabio Wardley early in the 11th round of a dramatic and blood-soaked contest. Howard Foster, whose pale blue shirt had turned crimson as if he worked in an abattoir rather than in a boxing ring as a referee, jumped between the courageous fighters to rescue Wardley 28 seconds into the penultimate round.It was a merciful stoppage because the fallen champion, with his face a mask of blood pouring from his badly cut and broken nose, had been examined twice before by the ringside doctor. Both fighters emerged with enormous credit after an epic battle. Dubois was knocked down twice in the fight, and dropped for the first time 10 seconds after the opening bell, but he came back with commendable resolve. He also proved he was the superior technician as, working behind his thunderous jab, Dubois sank one brutal blow after another into the steadily sagging figure of Wardley. But the 31-year-old from Ipswich, who suffered the first loss of his career, simply refused to surrender or even go down at any point during this riveting battle. Continue reading...
Main-event ring-walks scheduled for 11pm BST Wardley v Dubois is bout of uncertainty | Mail AlexPrediction time! The only big favourite in Wardley-Dubois is that it doesn’t reach the final bell: the bookies can hardly split the pair.For what it’s worth, I reckon the 31-year-old Wardley, who has this uncanny ability to ride punches and get stronger as a fight goes on, has an edge. Dubois doesn’t have a poor chin, the 28-year-old just hasn’t always shown the incredible mental fortitude of his foe. Continue reading...
Daniel Dubois survives two knockdowns to dethrone Fabio Wardley in the 11th round of a thrilling heavyweight classic and become a two-time world champion.
Main-event ring-walks scheduled for 11pm BST Wardley v Dubois is bout of uncertainty | Mail AlexPrediction time! The only big favourite in Wardley-Dubois is that it doesn’t reach the final bell: the bookies can hardly split the pair.For what it’s worth, I reckon the 31-year-old Wardley, who has this uncanny ability to ride punches and get stronger as a fight goes on, has an edge. Dubois doesn’t have a poor chin, the 28-year-old just hasn’t always shown the incredible mental fortitude of his foe. Continue reading...
Main-event ring-walks scheduled for 11pm BST Wardley v Dubois is bout of uncertainty | Mail AlexThe Co-op Live arena is right next door to the Etihad Stadium. I walked past Manchester City’s home ground, with the crowd roaring in the final few minutes of their game against Brentford, and it felt a relief that the boxing tonight is inside. It’s pretty cold in Manchester this evening but that didn’t stop a few of the City security guards jumping around in glee when a very late goal made it 3-0. But attention is now firmly back on the boxing and the Co-op already feels crammed with a sold-out crowd.It’s the least that Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois deserve for a fight that could be one of the most explosive and compelling heavyweight contests of the year. There is also a decent undercard and the celebs are drifting in slowly. Luke Littler has arrived but I was more interested to see Moses Itauma at ringside. I interviewed him a couple of months ago in Manchester. It was initially a bit of a challenge to get him to open up but, eventually, we got somewhere.Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are very different characters but, in the ring, they share a knockout ratio of 95% in the combined 42 fights they have won. The unbeaten Wardley has knocked out 19 opponents in his 20 victories while Dubois has stopped 21 of 22 vanquished rivals. It’s an impressive statistic which belies the vulnerability at the heart of each man.Wardley, the WBO world heavyweight champion, comes from a white-collar boxing background with minimal experience as an amateur. The only blemish on his record is a draw in March 2024 with the Olympic medallist Frazer Clarke – whom he then knocked out with shocking brutality in the first round seven months later. Continue reading...
Figures from the boxing world give their predictions for Saturday's heavyweight world-title fight between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.
Daniel Dubois will not to be drawn into a war of words after weighing in at a career-heavy 18st for Saturday's all-British heavyweight world-title fight against Fabio Wardley.
Daniel Dubois will not to be drawn into a war of words after weighing in at a career-heavy 18st for Saturday's all-British heavyweight world-title fight against Fabio Wardley.
Saturday’s WBO world heavyweight fight pits fascinating pair armed with knockout power against one another Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are very different characters but, in the ring, they share a knockout ratio of 95% in the combined 42 fights they have won. The unbeaten Wardley has knocked out 19 opponents in his 20 victories while Dubois has stopped 21 of 22 vanquished rivals. It’s an impressive statistic which belies the vulnerability at the heart of each man.Wardley, the WBO world heavyweight champion, comes from a white-collar boxing background with minimal experience as an amateur. The only blemish on his record is a draw in March 2024 with the Olympic medallist Frazer Clarke – who he then knocked out with shocking brutality in the first round seven months later. But Wardley was also comprehensively outboxed by Justice Huni last summer before rescuing himself from a shutout defeat by separating the tricky Australian from his senses in a dramatic 10th round. The 31-year-old has often looked to be in trouble against more skilful rivals before his power obliterates the gulf in experience or ringcraft. Continue reading...
Frank Warren writes in his BBC Sport column about how hard it is to promote both Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois for their heavyweight world title fight.
Frank Warren writes in his BBC Sport column about how hard it is to promote both Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois for their heavyweight world title fight.
Who wins when Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois meet in Saturday's heavyweight contest? According to Dubois' trainer, it's "highly unlikely" the fight will last long.
Daniel Dubois responds to fellow British heavyweight Fabio Wardley's "bin-man" jibe by vowing to make the world champion pay for the "disrespect".
Trainer Don Charles guarantees Daniel Dubois' team will not be hosting a party before Saturday's fight against WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
Briton, who defends his WBO title against Daniel Dubois, talks Fury-Joshua, doping and his punditry sideline“The only expectation I have is that it will end in a knockout,” Fabio Wardley says cheerfully as he looks ahead to his dangerous first defence of the WBO world heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois in Manchester on Saturday night. “Don’t Blink” is the promotional tagline for a battle between two powerful yet vulnerable heavyweights and, for once, this is less boxing bluster than reasonable advice for anyone watching a fight which could be the most dramatic heavyweight contest this year.Wardley and Dubois are devastating punchers who also often look at risk of losing. Dubois has been beaten three times in 25 fights while dispatching his other opponents with brutal efficiency. Two years ago, the unbeaten Wardley came close to defeat against Frazer Clarke in their first fight, which ended up being a draw after a damaging bloodbath for both men. He knocked out Clarke after two savage minutes in the rematch but then lost every round against Justis Huni before producing a chilling late stoppage of the skilful Australian last June. Continue reading...
Watch Fabio Wardley's and Daniel Dubois' best knockouts, before they face each other on Saturday.
