Fabio Wardley lost his WBO belt in a brutal 11-round war with Daniel Dubois, and he says Saturday's rematch is his chance to put it right.
Daniel Dubois, the British heavyweight with Nigerian heritage, goes back into the ring this Saturday with a dangerous man across from him. Fabio Wardley wants his WBO title back and says he has the answers to what went wrong the first time.
The first fight, in Manchester in May, was a heavyweight classic. Wardley came out swinging as the defending champion and put the more experienced Dubois on the canvas in the first and third rounds. Dubois had faced questions about his resolve before, and he answered them by getting up both times and fighting back.
Once Dubois found his rhythm, the fight swung hard in his favour. He battered Wardley round after round with heavy shots. Wardley kept refusing to fall, even as a deep cut opened across the bridge of his nose and his face swelled. In the 11th round the referee finally stepped in to save the champion from his own bravery. A beating like that can shorten a fighter's career.
Wardley is not talking like a man haunted by it. He predicts another 'crazy night' and insists he can 'right those wrongs.' The first fight showed he can hurt Dubois early, and Dubois has shown he can take it and come back. Saturday should be explosive.
