Daniel Dubois needed less than five minutes to flatten Fabio Wardley at London's O2 Arena and hold on to his WBO heavyweight title.
Daniel Dubois made a statement in London. He demolished Fabio Wardley inside five minutes at the O2 Arena and retained his WBO heavyweight title in a fight that was over almost as soon as it began.
The all-British heavyweight showdown had been billed as a clash of two big punchers, and Dubois delivered on the threat. He took control early, applied heavy pressure and ended the contest with a knockout that sent the champion's side of the arena into a frenzy. For Wardley it was a painfully short night.
The undercard had its own drama. Veteran heavyweight Dan Garber, 41, was taking heavy punishment from young Irish prospect Adam Olaniyan when his corner threw in the white towel. Referee Amy Pu shook her head and kicked it away, a decision that drew plenty of raised eyebrows at ringside. When Garber went down again, his corner begged him to stay down, and Pu finally waved the fight off. The episode reopened an old debate about whether referees should always heed a trainer trying to protect a beaten fighter.
There was star power at ringside too. Darts sensation Luke Littler arrived and spent a while near the press seats close to the ring. Reporters gave him his space rather than ask for a Dubois-Wardley prediction, and by then the result had made any forecast unnecessary.
