Dubois recovers behind the jab while Zak Chelli shocks David Morrell on stacked Manchester card
Daniel Dubois recovered from early knockdowns before stopping Fabio Wardley in the 11th round Friday night to win the WBO heavyweight title in Manchester. The card also featured Zak Chelli’s upset stoppage of David Morrell and strong wins for Jack Rafferty and Bradley Rea.
Daniel Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) climbed off the canvas and broke Fabio Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) down in eleven rounds to take the WBO heavyweight title in the main event at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Wardley detonated a right hand inside the opening seconds that dropped Dubois hard and nearly turned the fight into a sprint. Dubois looked shaken again when Wardley connected with another heavy right in the third, but the fight changed once Dubois established the jab and started setting his feet before punching.
From there, Dubois took control with straighter shots, heavier combinations, and steady body work. Wardley kept answering with hooks and uppercuts during the exchanges, but the pace and punishment caught up with him. Swelling spread across his face as Dubois kept driving him back toward the ropes.
The finish came in the 11th when Dubois trapped Wardley and unloaded in combination until the referee stepped in.
Jack Rafferty (27-0-1, 18 KOs) stopped Ekow Essuman (22-3, 8 KOs) after six rounds in a strong performance at welterweight. Rafferty controlled the fight behind accurate straight shots and compact combinations, gradually breaking Essuman down with pressure and cleaner punching. Essuman kept trying to force exchanges, but Rafferty’s timing and workrate kept him in command before the corner stopped the fight after six.
Bradley Rea (22-2, 10 KOs) blasted out Liam Cameron (24-8-1, 10 KOs) in their light heavyweight fight for the vacant WBA Intercontinental belt. Rea forced Cameron backward with pressure and combinations before dropping him with a heavy left hand. Cameron beat the count, but another attack sent him face-first to the canvas moments later, bringing a quick stoppage.
Zak Chelli (17-3-1, 9 KOs) produced the shock of the night by stopping David Morrell (12-2, 9 KOs) in the 10th round. Morrell boxed well early behind the southpaw jab and cleaner combinations, but Chelli stayed patient, kept working to the body, and dragged the fight into harder exchanges late. Once Morrell slowed, Chelli trapped him along the ropes and unloaded until the referee stepped in.
Khaleel Majid outpointed Gavin Gwynne (18-5-2, 5 KOs) over ten rounds in a competitive super lightweight fight. Gwynne started fast with pressure and inside work, but Majid settled behind sharper combinations and cleaner right hands during the second half to edge the rounds that decided the fight.
Bakhodir Jalolov improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) when Agron Smakici failed to continue after seven rounds of their heavyweight bout. Jalolov controlled the fight with the southpaw jab and straight left hand, steadily wearing Smakici down before the doctor examined him at the end of the seventh.
Javokhir Ummataliev moved to 2-0 (1 KO) with a second-round stoppage of Damian Drabik (5-3), closing the fight with a sharp finishing sequence late in the round.
Issiah Hamilton-Allen improved to 2-0 with a four-round decision over Connor Goulding after controlling the cleaner exchanges with the jab and counter right hand.
Bobbi Flood outworked Nathan Darby across four rounds, using combinations and steady pressure to move to 2-0.
Mike Perez handed Franklin Arinze his first loss, using experience, ring positioning, and cleaner punching to take an eight-round cruiserweight decision.
