Daniel Dubois to defend WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley at the O2
Daniel Dubois will defend his WBO heavyweight title in a rematch with Fabio Wardley at the O2 tonight, after winning their first fight in May.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Daniel Dubois will defend the WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley in a rematch at the O2 tonight. Dubois won the belt in their first fight in May. That bout was full of drama and left Wardley bruised and bloodied after 11 rounds.
Wardley had Dubois down twice in the first fight but could not finish him. Dubois got back up and Wardley lasted until the 11th round, with his face badly marked. Wardley still has a scar on his nose, and there is concern it could reopen in the rematch.
Both fighters have spoken before the bout. Wardley said grit, will, determination, stubbornness and self-belief helped him stay in the first fight, though it was not enough to win. He said Dubois is a big, strong guy who does punch hard, after Dubois had teased him that he cannot punch. He also said his late start in boxing may not matter because he has beaten fighters with long amateur careers.
Wardley worked as a recruitment consultant until he was 21. He said he was good at cold calling and could talk people into taking jobs. He took part in white collar boxing nights, fell in love with the sport and knocked out everyone he faced. Since then he has headlined the O2, headlined a stadium show with 25,000 people in his home town, and boxed in Riyadh on undercards for AJ fights and Tyson Fury fights. He said he sometimes wonders how he got there but loves every minute.
Dubois has a different background. He has been coached to be a world champion since he could walk. His father wanted him to be a boxer. He was homeschooled and did not go to school. He is a man of few words and does not enjoy the media side of the sport as much as Wardley.
The rematch is for the WBO Heavyweight Championship of the World. The fight is at the O2 tonight. Some fans would like to see Wardley win because of his story, and a win could set up a trilogy. The odds are still thought to favour Dubois.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Dubois is defending the WBO title he won in the first fight in May. | |
| In their first fight, Wardley knocked Dubois down twice, failed to finish him, and the contest continued into the 11th round. | |
| The rematch is taking place at the O2 tonight. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News previewed the fight on its morning programme, with a heavy focus on the contrast between the two fighters. It framed the bout as a rematch for the WBO title and gave more airtime to Wardley's late entry to boxing and media-friendly personality than to Dubois's quiet, boxing-first upbringing. The channel also leaned on its correspondent's concern about Wardley's facial scar and her prediction that Dubois is favourite.
- “It is the rematch, and it will be for the WBO Heavyweight Championship of the World.”
- “I think probably the odds are with Dubois.”
- “two fighters and two sportsmen who are like chalk and cheese.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.