Daniel Dubois has strengthened his standing among boxing’s heavyweight contenders after stopping Fabio Wardley in the second round at London’s O2 Arena to retain his title.
The 29-year-old delivered a decisive performance against his British rival, securing a more emphatic victory than their thrilling first meeting in May and setting his sights on potential unification bouts.
With several major fights looming in the heavyweight division, attention is turning to Dubois’ next opponent, the future of Wardley and the possible retirement of Oleksandr Usyk.
IBF champion Filip Hrgovic has already signalled his interest in facing Dubois again, entering the ring after the victory to make his intentions clear.
Recall that Dubois stopped Hrgovic in June 2024, but the Croatian has since rebuilt his career and claimed the vacant IBF title with a victory over British prospect Moses Itauma in August.
However, Hrgovic, 34, faces a potential scheduling obstacle in the form of mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez of Cuba.
Promoter Frank Warren is reportedly working towards staging Hrgovic’s first title defence in Croatia early next year, a development that could delay a rematch with Dubois.
Another lucrative option for Dubois would be a fight against the winner of the proposed December showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Warren said the division offered several opportunities for unification bouts next year.
“All those names are there to do a unification fight next year and that’s what we’ll be working on,” he said.
For Wardley, the defeat presents a different challenge. Although his performances have demonstrated an ability to compete at a high level, the second-round stoppage exposed technical weaknesses against an opponent of Dubois’ calibre.
