DUBOIS STOPS WARDLEY IN BRUTAL 11TH-ROUND WAR TO CLAIM WBO HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Hope
Daniel Dubois produced a dramatic comeback victory on Saturday night, stopping Fabio Wardley in the 11th round to capture the WBO heavyweight title in a thrilling all-British clash at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
The fight saw Dubois recover from two knockdowns, including an early shock in the opening seconds, before turning the contest around with sustained pressure and heavy combinations that eventually forced the referee to intervene.
Wardley, making his first title defence after being elevated to champion status, showed immense resilience despite being under constant pressure. However, by the later rounds he was visibly exhausted, bleeding heavily from the nose and struggling to defend against the relentless attack.
Referee Howard Foster stepped in at the start of round 11 to stop the contest, with Wardley unable to continue safely after absorbing significant punishment.
Dubois, 28, was dropped twice during the bout but regained control in the middle rounds, repeatedly targeting Wardley’s defence and breaking him down with power shots. The turning point came as Wardley began to fade under sustained pressure, allowing Dubois to take full command of the fight.
The victory marks Dubois’s 23rd win in 26 professional fights and sees him crowned world heavyweight champion for a second time in his career.
After the fight, Dubois described the encounter as a “war”, praising Wardley’s resistance in what he called one of the toughest fights of his career.
Promoter Frank Warren described the bout as one of the greatest heavyweight contests he has staged, adding that a rematch clause is already in place for the future.
Wardley, meanwhile, suffered the first defeat of his professional career, falling to a 20–1–1 record after a courageous but punishing performance in front of a packed Manchester crowd.
