By Daily Review Online
Daniel Dubois delivered a devastating performance to stop Fabio Wardley in the second round of their heavyweight rematch at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, retaining his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight title.
The British champion overwhelmed Wardley with a relentless barrage of powerful punches, ending the contest in emphatic fashion just five months after their bruising first encounter.
Dubois, who won their first meeting in May after an 11-round battle, wasted little time asserting his dominance in the rematch, dropping Wardley with a powerful right cross in the opening seconds.
Although Wardley quickly regained his feet, Dubois continued to unleash heavy punches, including a right uppercut that left the challenger struggling to withstand the champion’s aggression.
Wardley endured sustained punishment throughout the opening round, with his trainer, Ben Davison, appearing close to stopping the contest before the bell sounded.
Dubois resumed his assault in the second round, landing another series of powerful shots that left Wardley trapped against the ropes.
The champion then cornered his opponent and unleashed a devastating combination of right hooks and punches to the head, leaving Wardley unable to mount an effective defence.
With the challenger absorbing considerable punishment, Davison eventually threw in the towel, prompting the referee to step in and end the fight.
The victory confirmed Dubois’ superiority in the rivalry and ended Wardley’s hopes of reclaiming the world title he lost in their first encounter.
Speaking after the fight, Dubois said he had entered the ring determined to make a statement.
“I had bad intentions from the beginning,” he said, adding that he and his team had been determined to demonstrate their seriousness after the difficulties they experienced in the first fight.
Wardley, meanwhile, accepted the defeat but vowed to return to competition.
“It’s never fun to lose. It is what it is,” he said, insisting that he had no regrets about testing himself against the toughest opponents.
On the undercard, Uzbek heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov defeated Solomon Dacres by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
The two-time Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist dominated much of the contest and scored a knockdown in the fifth round with a powerful left cross. The judges scored the fight 99-91 and 99-90 twice in Jalolov’s favour.
Irish heavyweight prospect Adam Olaniyan also maintained his perfect finishing record, stopping Dan Garber in the second round of their bout.
Meanwhile, Michael Gomez Jnr was held to a majority draw against Louie O’Doherty in their 12-round British and Commonwealth lightweight title contest, despite appearing to dominate much of the fight.