After falling well short in his rematch with Daniel Dubois, fans are left questioning what Fabio Wardley’s next move should be, and one British three-division world champion has admitted that he would like to see the 31-year-old hang up the gloves.
Wardley has been one of the greatest success stories in recent boxing history, turning professional with no amateur background and going on to capture the coveted heavyweight world title.
The Ipswich fan-favourite met his match against Daniel Dubois this year though, as ‘Triple D’ scored a damaging defeat to end Wardley’s title reign back in May, before a two-round demolition job in their rematch on Saturday marked his first title defence.
As a result of the one-sided display, fans and analysts are pondering whether Wardley should continue on in the sport, and speaking to Seconds Out, British boxing legend Duke McKenzie MBE said that he would like to see him ‘walk away’.
“If I was Fabio Wardley’s manager now, I would sit him down and say, ‘the choice is yours, you are a grown man’, but from a personal point of view, I would like to see him walk away from the sport.
“He may never recover from the beating that he took from Daniel Dubois. Talk is cheap, ultimately, he is saying that he wants to continue and that might be a bit of bravado because he has just been [beaten] soundly this time, no question.
“However, I don’t think that he is ever going to get over those beatings that he has taken. You don’t.”
As McKenzie mentions, Wardley seemed content with remaining in the fight game during his post-fight interview, but McKenzie feared that his comeback could reveal what is – or isn’t – left of the former WBO heavyweight world champion.
“You don’t know how badly damaged he has been now. Daniel Dubois is a massive puncher and Daniel Dubois hit him, he stayed hit. There are big punchers in the heavyweight division, there is no such thing as a light-punching heavyweight, they all hit hard.
“So, we are not going to know what Fabio has got left until if and when he does decide to fight on.”
As for Dubois, it seems as though unifications are the priority for 2027, having been linked to a rematch with IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic, as well as a clash with WBC ruler Agit Kabayel.
