Dubois destroys Wardley in two rounds to retain title

Daniel Dubois retains WBO title with second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley

The full report

Daniel Dubois underlined his status as Britain's leading heavyweight with a devastating second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley to retain his WBO title in London, according to BBC Sport. The 29-year-old floored Wardley with a straight right inside the opening 20 seconds of their eagerly anticipated rematch at the O2 Arena.

Wardley survived the opening round but was overwhelmed by another sustained attack in the second, prompting his corner to throw in the towel. Dubois registers a second successive stoppage victory over Wardley, just five months after climbing off the canvas twice to dethrone his British rival in a thrilling 11-round contest in Manchester.

This time, there was no such drama for the champion, who was dominant from the opening bell as he extended his professional record to 24 wins - 23 by knockout - and three defeats. A sell-out crowd of 19,000 packed the O2 Arena and made their allegiances clear.

The Guardian — Sport notes that the Dubois ramrod jab, which basically won him the first contest, was barely a factor tonight. He didn’t need it. Once he unleashed that right hand on to Wardley’s chin after 17 seconds, it was the beginning of the end.