Dubois stops Wardley in two to keep WBO heavyweight crown

Daniel Dubois kept his WBO heavyweight title with a second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley at London's O2 Arena on 17 October.

It was over fast. A sell-out crowd of 19,000 watched Dubois take control from the first bell and never let go, according to BBC. The WBO is one of boxing's four major world-title organisations, so its heavyweight belt marks the holder as a genuine world champion.

Dubois dropped Wardley just 17 seconds into the first round with a straight right. Wardley beat the count and kept fighting, but Dubois pressed again in the second. After another sustained attack, Wardley's trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel to end the contest. A stoppage like that comes when the referee or the corner decides a boxer should not continue.

The speed of it was a sharp contrast to their first meeting. The pair had fought in Manchester five months earlier, when Dubois twice got up from knockdowns before stopping Wardley in the 11th round. That win made the 29-year-old Dubois a two-time world champion.

This time there was no long back-and-forth. Dubois fought at a career-heaviest 253.9 pounds (115 kg), with the 31-year-old Wardley at 248.3 pounds (112 kg), according to Reuters. Both men are managed by promoter Frank Warren.

The result moved Dubois to 24 wins, 23 of them by knockout, with three defeats. Knockout here means the opponent could not continue, still the clearest win in boxing. For Wardley, it was the second defeat of his 23-fight professional career.

What makes this stand out is the turnaround. Five months ago Dubois had to survive trouble to win late. In London he gave Wardley almost no room to settle. For fans, this means the rivalry that looked so even in Manchester now has a very one-sided second chapter.