'Devastating & dramatic' - Dubois stops Wardley to retain title

Daniel Dubois' demolition of Fabio Wardley has strengthened his position among the heavyweight elite.

The 29-year-old needed only two rounds to stop his British rival at London's O2 Arena, retaining his title with a performance far more emphatic than their thrilling first encounter in May.

Dubois can now turn his attention towards unification and some of boxing's biggest names.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk is approaching retirement, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are finally preparing to meet and a new group of world champions are looking to establish themselves.

Daniel Dubois has picked up 13 of his 24 victories inside two rounds

IBF champion Filip Hrgovic made his intentions clear, entering the ring after Dubois' victory, with both keen on a rematch.

Dubois stopped the Croatian in June 2024, but Hrgovic has since rebuilt his reputation, claiming the vacant IBF title with victory over British prospect Moses Itauma in August.

But Hrgovic, 34, has Cuba's Frank Sanchez waiting as a mandatory challenger.

Promoter Frank Warren is working towards staging Hrgovic's first defence in Croatia early next year, potentially delaying a reunion with Dubois.

The biggest financial prize for Dubois could be a meeting with the winner of Fury and Joshua's December showdown.

"All those names are there to do a unification fight next year and that's what we'll be working on," Warren said.

Wardley, meanwhile, has shown he can compete at world level, but the manner of Saturday's defeat exposed a gulf in technical ability.

A return against a lower-ranked opponent could help restore confidence, but questions remain over whether Wardley can make the adjustments needed to challenge the division's elite again.

After years of negotiations and false starts, Fury and Joshua are finally scheduled to meet at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on a card that begins on 11 December, with the main event expected in the early hours of 12 December.

The Netflix-streamed contest has demonstrated its extraordinary commercial appeal, with about 80,000 tickets selling out within an hour.

Warren says the vacant WBA 'super' title will be at stake, potentially opening the door to unification fights in 2027.

However, WBA 'regular' champion Murat Gassiev has questioned the decision and called for the winner to face him.

That appears unlikely to be a priority for either Briton, with both reportedly set to earn close to $100m (£75m) in December.

A rematch would offer another enormous payday, particularly if the first encounter is close or controversial, but a one-sided defeat could push the loser towards retirement.

Germany's Agit Kabayel has built one of the strongest records in the division.

The unbeaten 34-year-old has stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov, Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang, but remains a relatively unfamiliar name to casual boxing fans.

Kabayel, elevated to WBC champion when Usyk vacated, makes his first defence against Albania's Nelson Hysa on 28 November.

A unification fight against Dubois in 2027 could provide the opportunity to become a much bigger name in the sport.

Oleksandr Usyk beat boxing novice Rico Verhoeven when the referee stopped the fight with one second left in the 11th round

Usyk's decision to vacate the WBA, WBC and IBF titles in June means the unbeaten Ukrainian can call the shots over the final chapter of his career.

The pound-for-pound star, who defeated former kickboxing world champion Rico Verhoeven in May, has indicated he wants one final contest before retirement.

Dutchman Verhoeven exceeded expectations before suffering a controversial 11th-round stoppage defeat, and wants a rematch.

Verhoeven says he has accepted an offer to face Deontay Wilder on the Fury-Joshua undercard, although the American has yet to agree and has also been linked with cruiserweight Jai Opetaia.

Wilder previously emerged as a contender for Usyk's farewell, but negotiations appear to have stalled.

A third meeting between Usyk and Fury has also been mooted.

But having already beaten Fury, Joshua and Dubois twice apiece, how much more does Usyk have to prove?

Itauma's charge towards a world title was halted when he suffered his first professional defeat against Hrgovic.

Itauma, 21, is expected to return in January, with Warren promising credible opposition rather than a straightforward confidence-building contest.

The priority will be developing the stamina, pacing and tactical patience required over 12 rounds before pursuing another world title opportunity.

A rematch with Hrgovic remains a longer-term possibility, but there is little need to rush with time firmly on Itauma's side.

Moses Itauma (left) had stopped 12 of his previous 14 opponents before losing to Filip Hrgovic

American Jarrell Miller remains highly ranked, while compatriots Jared Anderson and Richard Torrez Jr, an Olympic silver medallist, are rebuilding.

New Zealand's former world champion Joseph Parker is seeking a return after his provisional doping suspension was lifted in August.

Australia's Teremoana Teremoana has stopped all 12 professional opponents within two rounds, while Uzbekistan's two-time Olympic champion Bakhodir Jalolov extended his unbeaten record by beating Solomon Dacres on Saturday.

In Britain, Derek Chisora, 42, is considering another comeback and says he expects to face WBA 'regular' champion Gassiev in December.

British champion Richard Riakporhe is pursuing world honours after moving up from cruiserweight, while former cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie is targeting a return after reaching an agreement with the WBC over an adverse drugs test finding.

David Adeleye, Dave Allen, Johnny Fisher and Frazer Clarke remain on the domestic scene, while Leo Atang, 19, and Ireland's Adam Olaniyan, 20, are emerging talents.

With Usyk, Fury and Joshua approaching the ends of their careers, the heavyweight division is entering a new era.

There is no shortage of potential big fights, but bringing the champions together before mandatory obligations, rematches and boxing politics get in the way could prove the greatest challenge.

Dubois destroys Wardley in two rounds to retain title

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