Daniel Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley by TKO when Wardley's corner retired him in Round 2 at 2:21 of their rematch at the O2 Arena in London. Dubois dropped Wardley early with a right hand and kept up the pressure through the opening rounds. Dubois had won the WBO heavyweight title with an 11th-round knockout of Wardley in their first meeting in May.
Daniel Dubois has beaten Fabio Wardley for the second time, winning their rematch at the O2 Arena in London when Wardley's corner pulled him out during Round 2. The fight was stopped at 2:21 of the round, and Dubois was awarded a TKO victory.
Dubois set the tone early. He dropped Wardley with a right hand and kept the pressure on through the opening rounds, giving Wardley little room to settle or mount a response. By the middle of the second round, Wardley's corner had seen enough and waved off the contest.
The result adds a decisive second chapter to a rivalry that was already one-sided in the first meeting. In May, Dubois won the WBO heavyweight title with an 11th-round knockout of Wardley. That fight went deep before ending. This time Dubois needed barely more than a round and a half to get the job done.
For Wardley, the rematch was a chance to reverse the earlier loss and take back the ground he gave up in May. Instead, he was hurt early and never recovered his footing. His corner's decision to retire him, rather than allow the fight to continue after the early knockdown and sustained pressure, ended the night in short order.
Dubois, meanwhile, goes home from London with a second straight win over the same opponent, each by stoppage. The first came by knockout and carried the WBO heavyweight title; the second came by corner retirement in a much shorter fight.
Why it matters
- Dubois has now stopped Wardley twice, leaving little doubt about the result of their rivalry.
- The faster finish in the rematch, compared with the 11-round first fight, underlines how clearly Dubois controlled the second meeting.
- Wardley now has back-to-back stoppage losses to the same opponent, which will test his standing in the heavyweight division.
