Having suffered two crushing defeats to Daniel Dubois this year, some fighters and pundits have called for Fabio Wardley to hang up the gloves.
Now, the former WBO heavyweight world champion has announced his final decision on his fighting future.
Wardley was elevated to full WBO heavyweight world champion 12 months ago following a career-best triumph over Joseph Parker. Admirably, for a first title defence, Wardley then accepted a daring bout with Dubois, seeking to prove himself as a genuine world champion.
However, in May, Dubois bounced back from two early knockdowns to assume control of the contest, eventually dominating Wardley to draw the eleventh round stoppage after the affair became somewhat unsavoury, thus ending the title reign of the Ipswich fan-favourite.
Against the advice of some, Wardley immediately activated his rematch clause to secure the chance to become a two-time world champion and avenge that first career defeat against ‘DDD’. However, their second encounter lasted just two rounds, as Dubois quickly disposed of Wardley to defend the WBO crown.
During the aftermath – following two losses that are sure to leave their mark – a host of former fighters and current fans have spoken out, advising Wardley to walk away with his health intact.
On X, Wardley has responded with a video of his doubters, captioned as ‘The show goes on’, confirming he has no plans to walk away from the sport just yet.
The show goes on! 🎇 pic.twitter.com/Ie9wIQFbi9
— Fabio Wardley (@FabioWardley) November 11, 2026
There remains a number of intriguing opportunities for Wardley, with a rivalry beginning to brew between him and fellow British heavyweight Derek Chisora.
