Dubois stops Wardley in round two to keep the WBO heavyweight title

[AustinTheory18]

Daniel Dubois made his intentions clear from the first bell at The O2. The Press Association's Duncan Bech, writing for the Express and Star, reports that Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley in the second round of their rematch to retain the WBO heavyweight title. Trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel after five minutes and 21 seconds

The damage came almost immediately. Dubois floored Wardley with a right hand just 17 seconds into the fight, and Wardley never fully recovered. It was a dramatic contrast with their first fight in May, when Wardley knocked Dubois down twice before being stopped in the eleventh

Dubois said afterwards that he had bad intentions from the beginning. Wardley denied that the punishment from their first fight had affected him, and took full responsibility for the defeat, only the second of his career. That was a dignified response from a fighter who has given fans two memorable nights

IBF champion Filip Hrgovic watched from ringside and was not impressed by Wardley, saying he did not look good from the first bell. Hrgovic also said he will beat Dubois. Dubois, now 29, named Hrgovic, Agit Kabayel and Murat Gassiev as possible next opponents

Dubois has built a strong reputation through his resilience, and this time he showed his power too. A unification fight looks the natural next step. British heavyweight boxing is in a very healthy place

Who should Dubois fight next? And can Wardley come back from this?

Daniel Dubois Says Fabio Wardley Felt His Bad Intentions 9294469www.expressandstar.com