Some fans believe Fabio Wardley‘s impatience may have cost him dearly. He should have waited longer before rushing back to face Daniel Dubois once again. Blaming Wardley for bringing it upon himself, several fans took potshots on social media. The 2025 British Fighter of the Year cut a sorry figure as Dubois tore him apart in the second round of their rematch at London’s O2 Arena early today.
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“NO TRILOGY NEEDED 👊,” read The Ring’s post. “Daniel Dubois was UNSTOPPABLE as he finished Fabio Wardley in round 2. 🥊”
Another message read: “COACH THREW IN THE TOWEL 😳. The moment Fabio Wardley’s coach threw in the towel as Daniel Dubois secured the victory 👏.”
Much of the discussion centers around the way Dubois made a short work of Wardley in their rematch. Unlike in their first fight, Dubois did not wait and attacked early, dropping Wardley with a right cross in the opening seconds.
Wardley managed to beat the referee’s count. However, it became increasingly clear that he was losing control of the fight as he wobbled around the ring, trying to slip Dubois’s punches.
NO TRILOGY NEEDED 👊 Daniel Dubois was UNSTOPPABLE as he finished Fabio Wardley in round 2 🥊
As the round ended, his trainer, Ben Davison, was reportedly at the ring apron, a sign of Wardley’s precarious situation.
Davison’s fears, however, came true in the second round as Dubois continued his barrage. Pushing Wardley into a corner, Dubois landed a series of shots. Sensing that his fighter could no longer defend himself, Davison promptly threw in the towel, and the referee rushed in to stop the fight.
Despite the career-defining setback, Wardley remained optimistic about making a comeback. Many fans, however, seem to disagree.
Fans rip into Fabio Wardley and his trainer after Dubois rematch collapse
One fan wrote bluntly, “Rematch wasn’t needed either.” Sharing similar sentiment, another mocked, “No trilogy, just triage for Wardley.” The comments refer to Dubois’ recovery from two early knockdowns in the May fight before he dominated Wardley and scored an 11th-round knockout.
Dubois’s punch accuracy – 46% of 391 thrown, compared with Wardley’s 27% of 358 – showed how effectively he landed his shots. Wardley deserves credit for accepting the rematch just five months after his first professional loss.
Some fans, however, believed the first fight had already shown who the better boxer was. From that perspective, holding a rematch just five months later made little sense.
Some fans also criticized Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison. “Well, at least he learned from the first fight 🙄😂,” one user wrote. Drawing a comparison with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who has secured only one win so far in the 2026-27 season, another fan added, “Ben has thrown more towels in the ring than Carrick’s EPL wins this season.”
The criticisms echo reactions to the first fight when referee Howard Foster stepped in during Round 11 to stop the bout. Given the way Dubois pummeled Wardley, many fans felt that the referee should have stopped the fight earlier.
On Instagram, Davison later admitted, “I actually agree the fight could (have) been stopped earlier. I did not see Fabio stumble before walking over to the doctor at the start of round 10.
“As ironically we (were) discussing with each other to ‘have the towel in hand,’ by which time he had gone over and seen the doctor and seemed much steadier on his legs, which is what we saw.”
Meanwhile, a few picked holes in Wardley’s boxing record. “Now after these two fights I can honestly say that Wardley didn’t even beat Parker; they gave him that victory because they were boosting him. 🤷.”
The criticism centers around the controversy that erupted after Wardley stopped Parker in the eleventh round of their fight on October 25, 2025. After cornering Parker, Wardley unleashed a barrage of shots, prompting referee Howard Foster to intervene and stop the fight.
Many, however, felt the stoppage was premature. Parker was ahead on the scorecards before Foster intervened, prompting many to voice concerns that the New Zealander was “robbed” of a fair decision.
Dubois made a similar argument before their first fight. Describing Wardley’s winning streak as sheer luck, Dubois said, “He’s been lucky up until now. Now he needs to take his L. He hasn’t faced a fighter like me, but full credit to him, though. He’s come through everything that’s been put in front of him….”
While veteran matchmaker Rick Glaser has called out for Wardley to retire, a few like legend Barry McGuigan believe the heavyweight should not be judged too harshly, especially when considering how much damage Dubois’ punches can do.
Wardley will turn 32 on December 18. At his age, returning to the top of the division will be a challenge. Beyond his dreams and ambitions, he must also overcome the doubts surrounding his ability.