Daniel Dubois Delivers Devastating Second-Round Stoppage to Retain WBO Heavyweight Title Against Fabio Wardley

Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois has successfully defended his WBO heavyweight belt, achieving a decisive second-round technical knockout against fellow British boxer Fabio Wardley in their world title rematch held at the O2 Arena in London. The 29-year-old champion began the bout with aggressive intent on Saturday, immediately putting Wardley on the defensive. Within 17 seconds of the opening bell, Dubois landed a powerful straight right, sending Wardley to the canvas. Although Wardley managed to beat the count, he endured a significant barrage of punches by the end of the first round, only to be saved by the bell. The onslaught continued into the second round, with Dubois relentlessly attacking Wardley, who absorbed numerous blows before his corner ultimately threw in the towel, prompting referee Steve Gray to stop the fight.

“Fabio is a great warrior, coming in for a second time, but it was my time and my era,” Dubois stated briefly after the victory. “I had my intentions, bad intentions, from the beginning. Our back was against the wall the first time. This time, we just had to go out there and show that we mean business, and that’s what we did tonight.”

This victory avenges Dubois's first professional defeat against Wardley in May, where Dubois overcame two knockdowns to win the title in the 11th round. Wardley, who had been promoted to WBO champion in November after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title, appeared a shadow of his former self compared to their previous encounter. His professional record now stands at 20 wins and two defeats, while Dubois boasts 24 wins and three defeats.

“I’ve always thrown myself in with the best competitors out there, the toughest, the biggest, hardest, meanest guys around. There’s no shame in testing yourself against the best,” Wardley commented. “Daniel’s a testament to coming up short and coming again. I’ll be looking to do the exact same thing. Boxing is a game of fine margins. It can be done and over in a round or two, or it can go into a big old war like it was last time.”

Following the fight, IBF champion Filip Hrgovic, who was present at the O2 Arena, expressed his readiness to face Dubois for a unification bout. Dubois, who previously held the IBF title before losing it to Usyk in July last year, had secured the WBO belt from Wardley. Dubois had previously defeated Hrgovic in June 2024 for the interim IBF belt, later being upgraded to full champion status. “I want to have a rematch with him. I want to get my old belt back and rule the division,” Dubois declared.