Overview
- Daniel Dubois rose from two early knockdowns to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round on Saturday in Manchester and claim the WBO heavyweight title.
- Although the contract includes a rematch option for Wardley, Warren says a return fight is not imminent, citing recovery time and indicating any redo would likely be late 2026 or even 2027.
- Wardley’s camp is seeking answers from the British Boxing Board of Control about referee Howard Foster, alleging repeated fouls such as head clashes and questioning a late break in round seven.
- Trainer Ben Davison said the fight could have been stopped earlier but backed Foster’s final call, while post-fight reports on Wardley’s treatment conflict between hospital stitches and no hospital visit; he is now recovering at home.
- Itauma, the WBO’s No. 1 contender with an August 8 date penciled in, increases pressure on Dubois’ next move as the sanctioning body could set deadlines, with wider heavyweight scheduling—such as Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven on May 23—shaping the timeline.