Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 is the big fight in the boxing world this weekend as the two British heavyweights clash again in a rematch for the WBO world title.
Given the violent and volatile nature of their first fight – which happened as recently as May – it is perhaps surprising that this big-punching pair collide again this weekend.
But boxing fans certainly aren’t complaining and the O2 Arena is the venue for a world title rematch that DAZN will once again stream live.
First meeting was one for the ages
Their WBO world heavyweight title fight in Manchester roughly five months ago was one for the ages – anything even close on Saturday night should have us all salivating at the prospect.
Wardley was the champion going in and dropped Dubois in the opening 10 seconds. Dubois was down again in round three, but the Londoner was unmoved by the excitable northern crowd and began to get a foothold in the contest behind his brilliant jab.
His superior boxing ability was evident as the rounds went by and in truth Wardley should have been pulled out at least two rounds sooner than the penultimate stanza (when the fight was actually stopped).
Dubois has power to burn
Dubois (now 23-3 with 22 wins inside distance) might be the most powerful heavyweight in the world. Every jab carries bad intentions, and he will be bullish about his prospects here given how the first fight ended.
He may be a man of few words outside of the ring, but he is built like a bank vault and someone capable of ending an evening with one well-placed right hand.
To his credit, the fairytale story that is Fabio Wardley (20-1-1 with 19 KOs) is someone who has never seemed overly concerned with reputations.
He fights with the confidence of a man who discovered he could swim only after being thrown into deep water. He is untidy in the most dangerous way possible and has forged a reputation as one of the gamest fighters in the division.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 prediction
Gameness alone may not be enough to get things done here. Wardley took a real beating in that first fight, and while the physical scars may have healed the mental ones could linger for a while.
The pick is for a revved up Dubois to get down to business quicker in this return, and 9/4 odds that the fight lasts ‘Under 5.5 rounds’ look tempting.
Start time and how to watch live
The fight takes place on Saturday night (October 17) at London’s O2 Arena. Ring walks are expected to take place shortly after 10pm local time (BST). If you are watching in the US, that’s just after 5pm Eastern or 2pm PST.
DAZN will stream the bout live and this is a pay-per-view offering in the UK, retailing at £24.99.
