The 29-year-old champion needed just 17 seconds to send Wardley to the canvas with a powerful straight right hand, setting the tone for a dominant performance in front of a sell-out crowd of 19,000 spectators.
Wardley survived the opening round despite absorbing several heavy punches, but Dubois continued his relentless assault in the second before the challenger’s corner threw in the towel to end the contest.
The victory marked Dubois’ second consecutive stoppage win over Wardley, five months after he recovered from two knockdowns to defeat his British rival in an exciting 11-round contest in Manchester.
This time, however, Dubois left little room for doubt as he controlled the fight from the opening bell.
The champion improved his professional record to 24 victories, including 23 knockouts, and three defeats, further establishing himself as one of the division’s most dangerous fighters.
Speaking after the fight, Dubois declared that he had proved his superiority over Wardley.
“Fabio is a great boy, coming in for the second time, but it was my time and my era. I had my intentions, bad intentions from the beginning,” he 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, which is what we did tonight.”
Wardley overwhelmed by Dubois’ power
Wardley entered the rematch hoping to repeat the fast start that had troubled Dubois in their first encounter. Instead, he found himself on the canvas within the opening moments as the champion backed him into a corner and landed a clean right hand.
Dubois followed up with a series of punishing combinations, leaving Wardley struggling to find his rhythm. Although the challenger made it to the end of the first round, he remained under intense pressure when the action resumed.
Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, eventually intervened after Dubois unleashed another barrage of punches against the ropes, bringing the contest to an end.
The defeat was the second of Wardley’s professional career, leaving him with 21 victories from 23 fights. It also raised questions about whether he had returned too quickly after the punishment he sustained in their first meeting in May.
Despite the setback, the 31-year-old remained proud of his decision to challenge himself against the division’s biggest names.
“I have always thrown myself in with the best competitors out there, the best in the business, the biggest, hardest, meanest guys around so, there is no shame in a loss when you’re testing yourself against the best,” Wardley said.
Wardley’s journey to the top has been remarkable. The former recruitment consultant had only four white-collar fights before turning professional in 2017 and went on to become a world heavyweight champion in less than a decade.
Dubois targets bigger heavyweight fights
Dubois’ victory has strengthened his position in the heavyweight division following previous wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
Although he suffered two defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, his consecutive stoppage victories over Wardley have reinforced his credentials as a serious contender for the division’s biggest prizes.
IBF champion Hrgovic entered the ring after the fight, signalling interest in a potential rematch with Dubois. However, promoter Frank Warren indicated that Hrgovic could first defend his title in Croatia before pursuing a unification contest.
Another lucrative opportunity could emerge from the expected December showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury, with the WBA ‘super’ title potentially at stake.
Asked about his next opponent, Dubois made clear that he wanted to remain active and pursue major fights.
“Whoever is next in line, really. I’m the champion now, and I want to get some big fights in. At this stage in my career, big money, big fights,” he said.
For Wardley, the immediate priority will be recovering from two punishing defeats and deciding how best to rebuild his career. Dubois, meanwhile, will look to capitalise on his latest statement victory as he targets bigger challenges and potentially another world-title unification fight.
