Daniel Dubois (24-3, 23 KOs) overwhelmed Fabio Wardley (20-2-1) in two rounds to retain his WBO heavyweight title, dropping the challenger almost immediately and never allowing him to recover.
Referee Steve Gray halted the fight at 2:21 of round two after Wardley’s corner threw in the towel on Saturday at London’s O2 Arena.
Their first fight required Dubois to recover from two knockdowns before stopping Wardley in the eleventh. This time, the champion inflicted the early damage, landing a jab followed by a right hand that put Wardley down inside the opening 15 seconds.
Wardley answered the count, but his legs looked unsteady. Dubois stayed composed rather than smothering his punches, giving himself room to land more heavy right hands and combinations. Wardley tried to answer, yet he could not make the champion back off.
The punishment continued through the opening round, with Wardley pinned against the ropes at times. Ben Davison’s corner had the towel ready but allowed him to continue. Reaching the bell gave Wardley a break, although it did little to change the direction of the fight.
Wardley came out for the second trying to swing his way back into the contest. That approach left him exposed against a champion who was finding the target without needing to force his attacks.
After a quieter spell and a clinch, Dubois connected with another sharp one-two, landing the right hand cleanly on Wardley’s chin. Wardley missed with a big shot, and Dubois followed with a flurry. The towel came in before the challenger could take any more punishment.
The difference from their first meeting was how quickly Dubois established control. Wardley never had the early success that made their previous fight competitive, and the opening knockdown left him struggling simply to survive.
Dubois needed no comeback this time. He hurt Wardley early, kept his punching organized and finished the rematch with a decisive title defense.