"To think the fight week narratives all centered around Dubois's vulnerabilities. In 2023, he suffered an eighth-round KO loss to Oleksandr Usyk. After rebounding with three increasingly impressive wins, including a demolition of Anthony Joshua, Dubois took on Usyk again and didn't make it out of the fifth round. He has always seemed a bit more skittish and afraid in the hard moments of a fight than similar talents."
Wardley began the 10th-round WBO world title fight by landing an overhand right that dropped Dubois within seconds, then forced Dubois to take a knee in round three with another head shot. After that early success, most of Wardley’s punches missed widely, while Dubois used a faster, harder jab and right hand to repeatedly batter Wardley’s face, leaving one eye fused shut and his nose badly swollen and red. The referee and Wardley’s corner had multiple opportunities to stop the fight after repeated staggering and clean shots. Wardley’s famed punch resistance kept him upright, but his performance deteriorated as he wobbled or froze after impacts, and the fight’s outcome reflected the limits of durability under sustained punishment.
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