Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois were involved in an instant classic for the heavyweight world title, with Dubois coming out on top. Wardley has decided to activate his rematch clause – a move which Anthony Joshua has now reacted to.
Dubois twice hit the deck within the first three rounds but rallied to a round 11 stoppage after taking control of the contest and dealing Wardley with enough damage to cause concern at ringside, before the referee’s eventual and arguably belated intervention.
In the immediate aftermath, fans and fighters alike suggested that Wardley should allow himself an extended period of recovery time, due to the brutal nature of his defeat, despite the fact that he, somehow, suffered no major injuries in the fight.
Wardley and his team have thought otherwise and instead chose to trigger their rematch clause and force a shot at regaining the WBO heavyweight crown from the now two-time champion Dubois.
Speaking to iFL TV, fellow two-time heavyweight ruler Joshua agreed with Wardley’s decision, labelling both men as ‘warriors’.
“100% [Wardley did the right thing]. Listen, they are warriors, what else are they going to do? Unless he needs the time [to recover], I don’t know, but away from his personal life and from a fighting point of view, if he is 100% focussed and that is what he wants to do – do it man, get in there. This is [for] the heavyweight championship of the world!”
Joshua agreed immediate rematches with both Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk after suffering his first two career defeats, avenging his shock upset loss to Ruiz but trumped again when was tasked with Usyk for a second time.
Dubois-Wardley II could take place before the end of the 2026 calendar, with promoter Frank Warren recently suggesting that the pair could now headline a stadium in the United Kingdom.
