Daniel Dubois, the new WBO world heavyweight champion, reflected on his monumental battle with Fabio Wardley in the early hours of Sunday morning, describing the fight as a war where both men gave everything. 'I was in there with a live dog and I loved it,' Dubois said, looking suitably gladiatorial without a shirt after his victory in Manchester. 'He came to win and it was a real crowd-pleaser. We had a great fight.'
At ringside, it was a sobering privilege to witness the courage and resolve of both men in a contest that captured the glory and damage of boxing. Dubois rose from the canvas twice, with the first knockdown coming just 10 seconds after the opening bell. Wardley, however, endured sustained punishment that became increasingly worrying. He was a stricken and weaving figure until the referee, Howard Foster, finally rescued him early in the 11th round.
A Bloody Epic
Wardley is not a skillful fighter and swung wildly on many occasions. But he carries real power and forced Dubois to show an iron will from the outset. Before the fourth round, after being knocked down for a second time, Dubois was slapped lightly across the face by his trainer, Don Charles. 'I needed that slap just to wake up, to stay in reality,' Dubois said. 'You can't slip back. As a warrior you have to dig deep, go to that dark place and come out on top. I wasn't going to be denied.'
Dubois described Wardley as 'a tough cookie' after the former champion did not go down once despite his face being masked with blood as he shipped heavy blow after heavy blow. 'He took my shots,' Dubois said, thanking and praising Wardley repeatedly. 'He pestered me in that fight. I had to go through my inner battle, coming off the back of a loss. I was a bit nervy, a bit all over the place at the start. But I pulled it together and got the victory.'
Silencing the Doubters
Dubois won new respect after this performance. Last summer, he lost for the third time when he was outclassed by Oleksandr Usyk in a world-title unification showdown. Another defeat would have been disastrous, but instead of easing back into action, Dubois took the bold decision to challenge the previously unbeaten Wardley. The now fallen champion is a destructive puncher, but Dubois dominated the rest of the bout with bludgeoning authority.
During his uneven career, the 28-year-old has been accused of being a quitter and too timid for a man carrying such force in his fists. But he also showed courage coming back from a badly fractured eye socket sustained in his first loss against Joe Joyce in 2020, when he was ridiculed for being unable to continue. He was also accused of giving up in the first of two losses against Usyk. His trainer, Charles, was emphatic: 'No human being on the planet could ever question this kid again. Certainly don't question him in front of me because what he showed tonight erased any doubt.'
A Night to Remember
Wardley is immensely tough, but the referee or his own corner could have rescued him a round earlier. Such intensely destructive fights take their toll on the bravest boxers, and there must be doubt that the 31-year-old will ever be the same again. 'It was just a war,' Dubois said. 'We both gave each other everything we had but I had to overcome it. It was a test from God and I had to come through it.'
Promoter Frank Warren, who promotes both heavyweights, sounded sincerely reverential. 'I think this is my 48th year in the business and for me it was humbling to watch these two guys. It was amazing. Boxing, hey? I keep telling you, it's flying.' The 74-year-old leaned forward to accentuate his point. 'Look at the end. What sport is like boxing? They just knock the granny out of each other, and then they're putting their arms around each other. How many sports are like that? I can't think of one. It's a unique sport, boxing, with unique people.'
It had been an incredible fight and a strangely uplifting night for boxing, but the scale of what Dubois and Wardley endured together suddenly seemed to hit the victor. When asked who he would like to fight next, Dubois was brief and truthful. Quietly, he said: 'I need a nice rest.'
