Daniel Dubois stops Fabio Wardley in round two to win heavyweight rematch

Dubois dropped Wardley with a right cross inside 20 seconds, the first knockdown of Wardley's career, five months after beating him in 11 rounds.

Daniel Dubois beat Fabio Wardley for the second time in five months on Saturday night at the O2, ending their heavyweight rematch after 2:21 of the second round.

Dubois pressed forward from the opening bell and put Wardley down with a right cross inside 20 seconds, the first time Wardley had been knocked down as a professional. Wardley got up and stayed on his feet from then on, but he spent much of the remaining time pinned on the ropes or in a corner before the fight was stopped.

The win keeps the WBO belt with Dubois at a time when Frank Warren promotes three of the division's four champions: Dubois, Filip Hrgovic and Agit Kabayel. Warren has promised unification fights next year and, at some point, a new undisputed champion. Hrgovic, a former opponent of Dubois, faced off with him late on Saturday night.

The opening reversed the pattern of their first fight in May, when Wardley dropped Dubois inside the first 10 seconds and again in the third round before losing in the 11th. Dubois has been knocked down in the opening round of four fights. His trainer, Don Charles, said Dubois had warmed up for longer and started his preparation earlier for the rematch.

In fight week, Wardley and his team set out the changes they believed he needed to make, and Wardley promised to manage the rematch better and finish Dubois more quickly if he hurt him. Dubois said little during those exchanges.

After the stoppage, there was debate at ringside and online over whether Wardley, who is trained by Ben Davison, had taken the rematch too soon after the punishment of the first fight.

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