Just five months on from their bloody battle in the capital, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley go to war again this weekend.
The last six weeks have been consumed by talk of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – the fight being made, the fight almost falling through again and the long-awaited first face-off at their press conference last month.
But last May, we were given the firmest reminder yet that there is life beyond those two in heavyweight boxing in this country.
The first fight between Dubois and Wardley was a devastating affair. Entering as the champion, Wardley put the challenger down after just 10 seconds, sending him down again in the third.
Dubois regrouped magnificently and proceeded to bludgeon away with a wave of heavy shots as he rendered Wardley a bloody mess, his nose splattered and his right eye swollen shut. It was uncomfortable to watch by the end with the savagery mercifully stopped by the referee in the eleventh with Dubois winning his second world title.
Such was the ferocious beating he took, there was some surprise when Wardley immediately activated his rematch clause. It was the first defeat of his professional career but within minutes of finding his way back to the dressing room that night, he had already decided to do it all again.
May’s defeat was the first of his professional career with his 2024 bout with Frazer Clarke ruled a draw. Six months later, Wardley settled that with a destructive first round stoppage where he broke the Olympian’s jaw.
Saturday’s rematch is different territory. Former world champion George Groves, who shared two iconic battles with Carl Froch, knows all about the changing dynamics of the second fight and believes Wardley must remember the success he had early on in the first bout.
‘I can imagine when you’re going in with someone who has weathered your success, you’ve hurt him, you’ve dropped him and you weren’t able to make it count, you’ve got to build yourself up,’ Groves told Metro via Grosvenor Sport. ‘You’ve got to be realistic, but maybe also a little bit in denial.
‘I’ve heard Wardley say, “I blew it the first time. I had him hurt, I had him gone”. Maybe he took his eye off the ball or expended a little bit too much energy. But he’ll be looking for those haymaker right hands that landed and he’ll be confident of finding it.’
Saturday will mark the first time two British heavyweights have met in a rematch for a world title and there is the feeling they will pick up from where they left on the same blood-splattered canvas in May.
Defeats can often be the making of a fighter – no one will know that better than Dubois. The Londoner had his heart questioned after his first professional defeat to Joe Joyce back in 2020 with his resistance again coming under the spotlight in his first meeting with Oleksandr Uysk. Dubois is a now a ruthless, battle-hardened champion who also counts Anthony Joshua among his list of victims.
‘Triple D’ is regarded as the better boxer, equipped with the more polished fundamentals and ring craft than Wardley whose path in boxing was an unlikely one, rising up from the white collar circuit.
But Wardley has seen he can hurt his opponent and amid everything else, it can still serve as a blueprint for success.
‘Fabio Wardley is effective at what he does, but you get what it says on the tin,’ Groves continued. ‘He’s a tough guy, he’s a strong guy. His boxing ability is very limited, but limited boxing ability and being tough can go an awful long way in the heavyweight division.
‘Daniel Dubois is a better boxer. He’s a faster, sharper athlete, punches harder and he’s got a good chin. He got caught high on the top of the head the first time, very early in the fight, goes down, gets up, is sort of back on top by the end of the round, wins the second round and gets dropped again in the third.
‘It’s up to Daniel Dubois to lose rather than Fabio Wardley to win. If you’re in Wardley’s corner and it’s going well, you just need to keep him focused.
‘If it’s not going well and he needs to change things up, keep nudging him to stick to the game plan. He wants to have a tighter guard and maybe a little bit of head movement this time.
‘There are only a couple of heavyweights who can fight on the back foot, so if you’re able to drive Daniel Dubois backwards, he’s nowhere near the force he is going forward. Keep Wardley calm, keep him composed.’