Daniel Dubois now knows who he will make the first defence of his WBO heavyweight title against after his win over Fabio Wardley.
Dubois and Wardley were involved in one of the best heavyweight fights of recent memory last weekend when they met at the Co-Op Live in Manchester.
It was a dramatic start to the contest, as Wardley dropped his rival after just 10 seconds before Dubois was then knocked down again in the third round.
Dubois then got a foothold in the bout and began to take over as it progressed, landing a number of big shots on Wardley that left the champion a bloodied mess, with concerns that the fight needed to be stopped a lot sooner than it was.
In the end, Dubois claimed the 11th round stoppage victory to secure the WBO heavyweight title, and it didn’t take long for attention to turn to what could be next for both men.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that a rematch clause was in place, but Dubois has also been linked to a fight against rising star Moses Itauma if Wardley chose a different path.
A decision has now been made, after it was revealed by Sky Sports that Wardley has activated his rematch clause, with the Ipswich man making his intentions clear ahead of the second meeting.
“The boxing world knows my character, and Saturday night proved that without a shred of doubt.
“It was a fight for the ages, but I made some mistakes that I will rectify in the rematch. Congratulations to Daniel, but I’m coming for you… and my belt!”
The two men are now set to do battle once again later this year, and if their rematch is anything like their first fight, then fans will once again be in for a treat.
