‘Big Money, Big Fights’: Nigerian-born Dubois targets heavyweight showdowns after Wardley KO

Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois has set his sights on bigger fights and paydays after knocking out Fabio Wardley in the second round to retain his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.

Dubois delivered a dominant performance in their much-anticipated rematch, dropping Wardley just 17 seconds into the contest with a powerful overhand right before overwhelming the challenger with a barrage of punches.

The 29-year-old continued his assault throughout the opening round, leaving Wardley struggling to defend himself against the champion’s relentless pressure.

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The second round followed a similar pattern, with Dubois landing a series of unanswered punches that left Wardley in serious trouble. The referee stopped the contest at two minutes and 21 seconds of the round after the challenger’s corner threw in the towel.

The emphatic victory marked a dramatic reversal of their first encounter in May, when Wardley floored Dubois just 16 seconds into the fight.

Dubois said he had been determined to dictate the pace from the opening bell and make a statement in the rematch.

“I had bad intentions from the beginning,” Dubois said in his post-fight television interview in the ring.

“Our back was against the wall the first time; this time we just had to go out there and show that we mean business, and that’s what we did tonight,” Dubois added, improving his record to 24 wins and three defeats, with 23 by knockout.

Dubois eyes heavyweight division’s biggest names

With the victory secured, Dubois is looking towards lucrative contests against leading names in the heavyweight division as he seeks to build on his position as a world champion.

“I’m the champion now, and I want to get some big fights in,” Dubois said. “This stage of my career, big money, big fights.”

Potential opponents include former world champions Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder, although no fights have been confirmed.