Daniel "Dynamite" Dubois successfully defended his WBO heavyweight title by knocking out fellow Briton Fabio Wardley inside two rounds in their world title rematch at the O2 Arena in London.
The 29-year-old champion came out with real menace. Just 17 seconds after the opening bell, Wardley was on the canvas after a straight right hand from Dubois. The 31-year-old challenger beat the count but might have been stopped at the end of the first round as he absorbed heavy blows against the ropes, before the bell came to his rescue.
In the second round there was no escape from Dubois's assault. The champion kept pressing, Wardley took punch after punch until the towel came in and referee Steve Gray waved the fight off.
"Fabio is a great warrior, he came into the rematch for the second time, but this is my time, this is my era," Dubois said briefly. "I had intentions from the start, and they were not gentle intentions. Last time, we were backed into a corner. This time, we just needed to step out and show we were serious, and that is what we did tonight."
The bout followed their May meeting, when Dubois handed Wardley the first defeat of his professional career. On that occasion, Dubois was knocked down twice – the first time after just 16 seconds – but came back to take the title in the 11th round of a dramatic, bloody fight in Manchester.
Wardley was elevated to WBO champion in November after Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. He had been praised for his courage and never-say-die spirit in the first encounter, but tonight he was little more than a shadow of himself compared with the Manchester fight.
Wardley now has a record of 20 wins and 2 defeats; Dubois has 24 wins and 3 defeats.
"I always face the best, the most awkward, the biggest, the strongest opponents. There is no shame in testing yourself against the best," Wardley said. "Daniel is proof of losing and coming back. I will try to do exactly the same. Boxing is a game of fine margins. A fight can end in one or two rounds, or it can turn into a big war like last time."
Dubois previously held the IBF title and lost to Usyk in London last July before returning to take the WBO belt from Wardley.
Croatian fighter Filip Hrgovic – the IBF champion after beating Britain's Moses Itauma in August – was ringside tonight and challenged Dubois to fight him with both belts on the line.
"An easy night for Daniel. He did well, won quickly. So he is ready to fight me in March, right Daniel?" Hrgovic said, before promoter Frank Warren suggested the Croatian might have to deal with other contenders first.
Dubois beat Hrgovic in June 2024 to win the interim IBF title, then was elevated to champion when Usyk vacated the belt.
"I want the rematch with him. I want to get my old belt back and dominate the division," Dubois said.
