Fans left 'uncomfortable' as referee criticised in bloody heavyweight brawl

Howard Foster should arguably have stopped the fight earlier than he did. (Getty Images: PA Images/Richard Sellers) Daniel Dubois was knocked down twice in the opening three rounds before roaring back to stop Fabio Wardley in Manchester. Commentators ringside expressed their discomfort at watching such a one-sided beat down with Wardley clearly struggling. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed there is a rematch clause between the pair. Link copiedShareShare articleDaniel Dubois came back from two knockdowns to deal Fabio Wardley a brutal and bloody first defeat as a professional and take the WBO heavyweight title in a thunderous all-British clash on Saturday. Referee Howard Foster belatedly stepped in at the start of the 11th round to signal the end of the fight with Wardley bleeding heavily from the bridge of the nose and with his right eye almost closed. "It was a war. We came through the sticky moments. Thank you Fabio for that," said Dubois, who was previously IBF champion after the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, with the Ukrainian winning it back in July 2025. "What a great fight. What a great battle, man". The win was Dubois's 23rd as a professional in 26 fights while Wardley now has a 20-1-1 record. Veteran promoter Frank Warren, who manages both men, said it was the best heavyweight fight he had ever put on and confirmed there was a rematch clause in the contract. For some viewers, however, it was also an uncomfortable watch that could have been stopped earlier. Fabio Wardley (left) was brutalised in his world heavyweight title defence. (Getty Images: PA Images/Richard Sellers) "I think it was uncomfortable at times," Richie Woodhall, former WBC super-middleweight world champion told the BBC. "We know how tough Wardley is. We always said going into this, he was probably in with the hardest puncher he's faced. I can't believe the shots that he took, he never hit the canvas. "The referee's let that go on too long. Fabio is a victim of that." Veteran boxing reporter Steve Bunce noted that Wardley's corner should probably have taken him out of the fight in the ninth. "Wardley has never been hurt like this," Bunce said. "There is a case here for some mercy in the corner, there's a case for withdrawal. "I know he's tough but there are limits. His corner looks very unhappy, they know what is imminent." Daniel Dubois is now a two-time world heavyweight champion. (Getty Images: Matt McNulty) The 31-year-old Wardley, who beat Australian Justis Huni by a 10th-round KO in June last year despite being comprehensively outboxed throughout, was promoted to WBO champion last November after Usyk vacated the title. This was the Suffolk fighter's first defence and he once again showed immense heart as he took a tremendous beating yet refused to capitulate. He had his opponent on the floor, a blow Dubois, 28, later dismissed as a "flash knockdown", almost with the opening bell still sounding. Dubois was back on one knee in round three but came close to a stoppage in the sixth with the reigning champion bleeding heavily and on the ropes. The Londoner continued to land blow after blow on Wardley, who wobbled but refused to give up. ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines. Perhaps with that 10th-round KO against Huni in the back of their mind, Wardley's corner inspected the facial wounds after the eighth and doctors and the referee took a look in rounds nine and 10 but still the fight continued, with Wardley increasingly struggling to stay on his feet and fighting on instinct. "You witnessed something special tonight," Warren told the BBC. "Two men baring their hearts and souls in the ring, gave everything, didn't leave one bit outside the ring. "They were getting hit with bombs that would take people out and they stood it. "Fights like this, thankfully as a punter you like to see them but these are going right to their soul, they gave everything. The determination, the will to win, neither of them taking a backwards step. Amazing." Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionSportAlexa Leary misses out on Commonwealth Games after reclassificationTopic:Commonwealth Games

Fans left 'uncomfortable' as referee criticised in bloody heavyweight brawl

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