Thirty minutes after Daniel Dubois had dismantled Fabio Wardley in less than two rounds on Saturday night, his promoter Frank Warren shook his head in slight awe as he described the intensity before the annihilation: “I went in the dressing room beforehand like I normally do and I couldn’t have a conversation with Daniel because he was so zoned in and focused. It showed when he got in the ring. He went out there on a seek-and-destroy mission.” Dubois resembled a much bigger and heavier version of a young Mike Tyson as, wearing black trunks and a black cape, he walked to the ring with intense purpose.
There was not a flicker of emotion as he marched quickly towards Wardley for their WBO world title rematch. In the first fight, five months ago, Dubois was knocked down after just 16 seconds. He was dropped again in the third round, before he went to work behind his jolting jab and proceeded to beat up a valiant Wardley who refused to surrender until rescued by the referee in the 11th round.
The clear consensus was that Wardley would be a reduced figure in the rematch and that his only real hope boiled down to the fact that he still hits like a mule and that Dubois is regarded as a slow starter. But the champion was ready. Maybe the warm-up was more extensive than usual but I was in the zone quicker.
Everyone was saying Fabio was going to start fast so I was ready for him.” Had he expected such a brutally quick stoppage? I wasn’t going to be denied. I refused to lose.” Dubois insisted that no heavyweight in the world could have withstood the ferocious blows he rained down on Wardley.
His certainty was understandable as he looked formidable – even if Wardley’s famed punch resistance has dissipated. Even in Saturday’s dark whirlwind he took a standing count after just 17 seconds when a monstrous right hand left him crumpled against the ropes. Wardley was also still on his feet, while hunched over in a corner, when his trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel.
After his victory, Dubois proclaimed that “this is my time, my era.” Only three men currently have the movement and skill to hold off a rampaging Dubois. Oleksandr Usyk remains the best heavyweight in the world and he has already defeated Dubois twice. But the unbeaten Ukrainian master will turn 40 in January and he wants just one more fight in America.
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