Daniel Dubois retained his WBO world heavyweight title by stopping Fabio Wardley in a one-sided rematch at The O2 Arena in London.
Dubois seized control almost immediately, dropping Wardley within the opening 20 seconds with a heavy shot. Wardley survived the first round but was left unsteady and under sustained pressure.
The champion continued to find his target when the action resumed, repeatedly landing powerful right hands and an uppercut as Wardley struggled to stay out of danger. His corner eventually threw in the towel to bring the contest to an end.
Dubois had dominated the fight to such an extent that post-fight punch figures credited him with landing 60 punches, compared with four from Wardley.
Wardley, who had lost his WBO title, accepted the result and paid tribute to his opponent’s preparation.
“It’s never fun to lose. It is what it is, I’ve always thrown myself in with the biggest, toughest, meanest guys around, there’s no shame in testing yourself against the best,” Wardley said.
“Daniel is testament to coming again and I’ll come again. You come with a game plan, try to adjust things and it didn’t work tonight. It’s credit to Daniel of how well he prepared.”
Wardley added: “He’s a testament himself to losing and coming back, I’ll be looking to do the exact same thing. Thank you to Daniel and his team for two fantastic fights. I’ll come back stronger.”
Promoter Frank Warren praised Wardley’s courage but said the victory belonged firmly to Dubois, while pointing towards more major heavyweight contests in the future.
“Fabio Wardley, what a brave guy, his heart is unbelievable but this was Daniel’s night,” Warren said. “Next year we’ll see some more great fights.”
Dubois’s emphatic performance also prompted Richard Riakporhe to question whether Wardley had been fully prepared for the contest. “Something was not right in the camp,” Riakporhe said, while stressing that he believed Wardley remained a determined fighter.
For Dubois, the stoppage marked a commanding defence of his belt and a powerful statement in the heavyweight division.
