The Co-op Live Arena in Manchester (England) hosted a fight for the WBO world heavyweight title between the title holder, Briton Fabio Wardley (20 wins, 19 of them by knockout, 1 loss, 1 draw), who won it in a fight with Joseph Parker, and his compatriot, former world champion Daniel Dubois (23 wins, 22 of them by knockout, 3 losses).
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Already in the 12th second of the confrontation, 28-year-old Dubois, who had previously lost to Oleksandr Usyk twice, missed the right hook of the 31-year-old native of Ipswich and ended up on the ring floor. Moreover, the contender was knocked down again in the 3rd round. But, to Dubois' credit, he did not break down, and starting from the 4th three-minute mark, he started beating Wardley. Moreover, the matter was not limited to a knocked-out mouthpiece and a broken face. In the 11th round, after another attack by Dubois, the referee stopped the fight, recording Daniel's victory by technical knockout. Usyk's former belt, which the Ukrainian voluntarily gave up, received a new-old owner.
According to Compubox's comprehensive punching statistics, Dubois significantly out-performed Wardley in every way. Daniel landed more punches overall (179 to 97), was more accurate with jabs (92 to 57), and was even more accurate with power punches (87 to 40).
“I won because I’m not a coward,” Daniel Dubois said after the fight. “I have a huge brave heart. I’m still that warrior. Knockdowns? They were “flashes.” So I got up and fought back even harder. I’m still that warrior. In the ring, we had a real war. We went through all the most difficult moments. A real war…
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Fabio, thank you for this! You're a very tough guy. A true warrior. A great warrior. I want to thank you for this awesome move. Dude, it was an honor to share the ring with you. I'm No. 1 again. I want this win to help me reach the next level. To help me improve my skills. To help me stay champion.”
By the way, the famous promoter Frank Warren immediately after the fight said that Fabio and Daniel could have an immediate rematch, as it is written in the contract.
Previously, “FACTS” reported that Oleksandr Usyk will fight a giant kickboxer from the Netherlands in Egypt on May 23.
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Photo by X Ring Magazine