Dubois Beat Wardley To Become WBO Heavyweight Champion

Daniel Dubois beat Fabio Wardley by stoppage to become WBO world heavyweight champion in an incredible 11-round epic at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Wardley floored his fellow Briton early with a flush right hand and dropped him again in the third, before Dubois regrouped and responded with wave after wave of heavy shots.

The Ipswich fighter, his nose damaged and one eye swollen shut, staggered around the ring yet somehow stayed on his feet and continued to fire back.

As the contest drifted into uncomfortable territory, the referee had eventually seen enough and halted the fight. A distraught Wardley sank to his knees as Dubois celebrated capturing the WBO heavyweight title.

In a week when Dubois’ mentality was questioned, the 28-year-old silenced his critics with a clinical display of heart and power.

Dubois picked up his 23rd professional victory and reasserted himself at the top of the division as Wardley, 31, lost for the first time in 22 fights.

With knockout power stacked heavily on both sides, the fight joined a rare crop of elite encounters to live up to its pre-fight hype, as promoter Frank Warren confirmed there is a rematch clause.

A showdown with the highly rated Moses Itauma would also capture the imagination, while the winner of a proposed clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could yet target Dubois for one final shot at world honours.

For now, though, Dubois has reminded the division that he is still one of its most dangerous and destructive forces.