After needing nearly 11 rounds to finish the job in a brutal fight and claim the WBO heavyweight title in Manchester just 161 days ago, The Ring’s number one heavyweight contender quickly destroyed Wardley in their rematch. Ben Davison and Rob Hodgins, Wardley’s training team, were criticized for leaving their man in for too long. On May 9, it was Davison who threw in the towel to call off this one-sided rematch. Referee Steve Gray stopped the action at 2:21 of the second round. Back in Manchester, Wardley floored Dubois after just 16 seconds, with the first right hand he threw. But there was a complete role reversal here, as Dubois dropped Wardley after 17 seconds with a precise right hand of his own. It was the first time Wardley, the former white-collar boxer, had fallen in his entire life. With more than two and a half minutes left on the clock, he found himself in the middle of a crisis. But although Wardley was unable to capitalize on the initial breakthrough in May, there was no respite from Dubois (24-3, 23 KOs). With so much time left in the round, it seemed the writing was on the wall as the Londoner landed more devastating right hands. The beatdown was so one-sided that Davison was in the ring with a towel in hand as the first round entered its final 10 seconds. Wardley (20-2-1, 19 KOs) made it to the bell, but there would be no dramatic turnaround here. Instead, the second round continued in exactly the same manner, with Wardley simply unable to land anything to stop Dubois. As happened in Manchester, Wardley would not finish the fight on his back, but against the ropes, receiving more severe punishment. This time the towel fell and the pain was over for Wardley, who failed in his challenge to regain his title. “It just didn’t work out for me tonight,” Wardley said. “It’s a recognition and credit to how well Daniel has prepared. Boxing is a game of fine margins. It was what it was. I wasn’t excited about it, so there’s a bit of pride to feel.” As always, Wardley walked to the ring listening to Roy Jones Jr.’s “Can’t Be Touched.” Only this time, Jones himself was present, as one of his fighters, Tony Curtis Jr., boxed on the undercard. Wardley received a very warm reception while Dubois was roundly booed upon his arrival and again when his name was read. Whether that had anything to do with the fast start is another question, but it certainly didn’t do much to slow him down. “I hope you were entertained tonight,” said a beaming Dubois. “Are you not entertained? Fabio is a great warrior.” Having remained undefeated through the first 21 fights of his career, this painful defeat means Ipswich’s Wardley has lost twice in five months. The Ring’s No. 5 heavyweight now faces a long march back to the top. When asked if this rematch might have come too soon, given how quickly Dubois made the deal, Wardley said: “No, not in the slightest, not at all. I just didn’t execute the game plan correctly, that was all. Hands up, it was my fault. There’s no blame to go around. “Daniel himself is a testament to losing and recovering and I’ll be looking to do the same. This was not my night, but I will come back stronger.”
