Concerns for Fabio Wardley have been eased after his brutal battle with Daniel Dubois on Saturday night.
Wardley lost his WBO heavyweight title when he was stopped in the 11th round by Dubois at Co-Op Live in Manchester. The Ipswich fighter started strongly, dropping Dubois within the first 10 seconds and again in the third round, but from then on, he absorbed heavy punishment from his opponent.
Wardley suffered a deep cut on his nose and severe swelling around his right eye. In the later rounds, he appeared unsteady on his feet, leading many to believe the fight should have been stopped earlier. Referee Howard Foster finally stepped in at 28 seconds of the 11th round.
Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, took to social media to assure fans that his fighter is recovering well. “Most importantly, Fabio is OK… It’s easy to forget what he has achieved, going from four white-collar fights to heavyweight champion of the world. That’s no small feat, guiding him against the best. It’s never been done before and won’t be done again.”
Queensberry’s head of boxing, Lee Eaton, also confirmed that Wardley is back at home with his family and doing well.
Wardley once again displayed tremendous heart and bravery against Dubois, but he will now take the necessary time to recover before stepping back into the ring.
