- Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a round two stoppage of Fabio Wardley at the O2 in London, after the towel came in at 2:21
- Dubois dropped Wardley with a right hand in round one, avenging the fight in which he was floored twice before winning in round eleven
- Filip Hrgovic climbed into the ring for a face-off afterwards, and I want Dubois v Hrgovic 2 next with Agit Kabayel waiting in the wings
Dubois Stops Wardley: A Two-Round Statement
Right then. Let’s not beat around the bush, the rematch I previewed ended exactly the way I thought it would, only quicker than even I dared to say. Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title at the O2 in London last night, stopping Fabio Wardley in round two when the challenger’s corner threw in the towel at 2:21.
Dubois put Wardley down with a right hand in round one, and from there it was a proper beating. Compare that with the first fight in May, when Dubois was dropped twice before finding an eleventh-round finish. This time there was no drama, no wobble, no lucky escape. He was levels above on the night.
What Changed In The Rematch
Make no mistake, this is what a fighter looks like when he has learned his lesson. Dubois had been hurt and dragged into deep water the first time, and he clearly came in with a plan to take the early rounds by the scruff of the neck. The right hand that did the damage in round one was short, heavy and thrown with total conviction. If you know, you know: when Dubois lands clean, there is not much a man can do about it.
Wardley Deserves Credit
I will say this for Wardley, he did not come to hide. He stood in front of a bigger puncher and tried to win, and that is why he got stopped so early. His corner made the right call in round two, because another clean shot could have done real damage. There is no shame in that, and he remains a brilliant story for British heavyweight boxing. But he now has two defeats to the same man, and the pecking order is clear.
Hrgovic Steps In
The story did not end with the towel. Filip Hrgovic, the new IBF champion, came into the ring for a face-off with Dubois. Hrgovic stopped Moses Itauma in round nine in August, and Dubois has history with him, having stopped him in round eight to win the interim IBF belt in 2024.
There is also the WBC side of the picture, with Agit Kabayel a name that keeps coming up for a unification. With Oleksandr Usyk having effectively vacated his belts, this is the cleanest route to the top of the division in years, and Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are already booked for December.
My Prediction
Dubois v Hrgovic 2 is the fight, and I back Dubois to win it inside the distance again. Hrgovic is bigger and stronger than the version Dubois beat in 2024, but he has never looked comfortable against that right hand. If Dubois fights like he did last night, I make him a clear favourite. Let’s see if the promoters have the sense to get it signed.