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Dubois dropped Wardley with a right hand just 17 seconds into the first round, according to Reuters and The Guardian. Wardley recovered and survived the opening three minutes, but the champion continued landing heavy combinations in the second round, leaving the challenger under sustained pressure until his trainer Ben Davison intervened.
The early knockdown set the tone for a contest that looked markedly different from the pair’s first meeting in May. Dubois pressed forward immediately and landed the cleaner, heavier punches, while Wardley struggled to create the space needed for his own power shots. The challenger made it through the first round, but the punishment continued after the bell.
Wardley returned for the second round and attempted to respond, but Dubois kept him under pressure. With Wardley taking repeated shots, Davison threw in the towel and referee Steve Gray stopped the contest at 2:21. The stoppage came with 39 seconds left in the scheduled three-minute round, according to the Associated Press report carried by FOX Sports.
- Result: Dubois won by second-round technical stoppage at 2:21.
- Venue: The O2 Arena in London, England.
- Opening knockdown: 17 seconds into round one.
- Dubois’ record after the fight: 24 wins and 3 losses, according to Reuters.
- Wardley’s record after the fight: 20 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, according to Reuters.
- Time since their previous fight: approximately five months.
The numbers underline the contrast between the two contests. Their first meeting in May became an 11-round battle, while the rematch ended before the end of the second round. This time Dubois avoided the early trouble that had defined the first fight and established his power advantage almost immediately.
When the boxers first met in Manchester on May 9, Wardley dropped Dubois twice early in the fight. Dubois regrouped, steadily turned the contest around and stopped Wardley in the 11th round to claim the WBO heavyweight title. That comeback made the rematch compelling: Wardley had shown he could hurt the champion, while Dubois had demonstrated the ability to recover and finish strongly.
The second fight reversed the early narrative. Dubois scored the first knockdown and maintained the initiative rather than needing to recover from adversity. The Guardian reported that it was the first time Wardley had been forced to take a count in his professional career, a notable detail given the toughness he had shown in the first contest.
The victory strengthens Dubois’ position in the heavyweight division and gives him another successful result against a leading British rival. Reuters reported that IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic, who was present at the event, challenged Dubois to a potential unification bout in March. Any such contest would depend on the relevant teams and sanctioning arrangements, so it should be treated as a possible next step rather than a confirmed booking.
Wardley, meanwhile, faces the task of regrouping after a decisive defeat. He had won the WBO title before the first meeting with Dubois and then lost it in their May fight. The quick finish in the rematch leaves questions about his next opponent and route back into the title picture, but no specific return date was confirmed in the sources available for this report.
For boxing fans, the rematch offered a clear example of how tactical starts can change the course of a heavyweight contest. Wardley had been the aggressor in the opening stages of the first fight, but Dubois landed first and decisively in London. The result also adds another chapter to Britain’s current heavyweight rivalry, while a potential clash with Hrgovic could bring a championship-unification storyline into focus if negotiations progress.
The confirmed result is straightforward: Dubois won by second-round stoppage and retained the WBO belt. The next major development to watch is whether the champion’s team pursues the proposed Hrgovic matchup or takes another route through the heavyweight division.
