Tony Bellew is going against the grain for tonight’s Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley rematch.
The pair meet again just five months on from their thrilling first encounter, with Dubois now WBO champion having won the belt from Wardley via eleventh round stoppage.
After surviving two early knockdowns, the Londoner – who is now in his second stint as heavyweight titlist – took over the contest with a solid jab setting up thudding attacks that exhausted Wardley.
Though the Ipswich man stayed on his feet throughout, referee Howard Foster waved it off as the punishment because too much.
It is how the fight ended, and those last few rounds in which Dubois was largely dominating, that make him a strong favourite to retain his belt.
Giving his prediction to the BBC, former cruiserweight world champion Bellew backed Wardley to have success early again, but capitalise fully this time and end it.
“I’m going to be the difference. I am going to back Fabio Wardley by knockout within six rounds. Yep, I said [it]. I’m going for Fab within six.”
Dubois was on the canvas within ten seconds last time out, and took a knee in the third when hurt again.
Bellew has questioned Dubois’ resolve in the past, pointing to his stoppage loss to Joe Joyce as proof that there is a point he can be pushed to that he is not willing to go beyond. Many, however, will look to the first Wardley performance and disagree.
Both men recorded the highest weights of their careers on the scales, suggesting that neither will be changing the gameplan to a more measured affair, rather looking to engage in round 13 from the off tonight at London’s O2.
