Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are expected to run it back in October. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed Thursday that the rematch is moving forward, with October 17 at Co-op Live in Manchester emerging as the working date and venue.
A second meeting between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley is being lined up for October 17 at Co-op Live in Manchester, according to promoter Frank Warren. The heavyweight rematch would bring the rivals back to the same arena where Dubois stopped Wardley in a dramatic 11th-round finish this past May.
That first fight did more than crown Dubois as WBO heavyweight champion — it turned into the kind of action bout that instantly created demand for a sequel. In a division that remains crowded with title intrigue and contender movement, a Dubois win would strengthen his hold near the top and keep him in position for even bigger unification talk. A Wardley victory, meanwhile, would completely reshape the picture by putting him back into the title conversation after a punishing loss.
There was real doubt about whether Wardley would return before the end of the year after the punishment he absorbed in the first fight. Warren said the challenger pushed for the rematch himself, which says plenty about both Wardley’s mindset and his team’s belief that the gap between the two men is not as wide as the ending suggested.
“I haven’t spoken to him for several weeks,” Warren said when asked about Wardley’s recovery. “But he wanted this rematch himself. It was his decision, and his team demanded it, and it will happen. So they must want it. Otherwise, why would they ask for a rematch? And Daniel is ready. I saw him a couple of days ago, and he looked as fresh as a butcher’s dog.”
For American fans, this is the kind of heavyweight fight that still cuts through: proven power, recent bad blood inside the ropes, and real consequences in a division always one fight away from chaos. Manchester should bring a charged atmosphere again, and the biggest question now is whether Wardley can make the adjustments before Dubois’ momentum carries him through the rematch too.
