Daniel Dubois dominated Fabio Wardley from the opening bell, retaining his WBO heavyweight title with a devastating second-round stoppage at the O2 Arena in London. The 29-year-old floored Wardley with a straight right inside the opening 20 seconds, setting the tone for a relentless assault that overwhelmed his British rival. Wardley's corner threw in the towel early in the second round, marking Dubois' second successive stoppage victory over Wardley just five months after a dramatic 11-round win in Manchester.
Dubois extended his professional record to 24 wins - 23 by knockout - and three defeats. "Fabio is a great boy, but it was my time and my era," Dubois said. "My back was against the wall the first time, this time we just had to go out there and show that we mean business."
Wardley, 31, suffered only the second defeat of his 23-fight professional career. A sell-out crowd of 19,000 witnessed the contest, with celebrities including Paddy Considine, Rob Beckett, Noel Gallagher and Luke Littler in attendance.
Concerns over whether Wardley had returned too quickly after absorbing significant punishment in May appeared justified, as the challenger struggled to cope with Dubois' relentless pressure throughout the bout.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing