Fabio Wardley is facing an immediate medical suspension following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in their heavyweight world title rematch in London. The 31-year-old lost his WBO heavyweight championship to Dubois after barely landing a punch during a one-sided contest that lasted just five minutes and 21 seconds.
Wardley was in survival mode for much of the fight, having failed to recover from a devastating right hand that floored him in the opening exchanges. The defeat echoed the closing stages of their first encounter in May, when a bloodied Wardley was stopped in the 11th round.
Automatic suspension rules
Following the brutal loss, Wardley is set to face a medical suspension, a routine measure in boxing designed to give fighters sufficient time to recover before returning to the ring. Such suspensions are intended to protect boxers who may have sustained a concussion, cuts, fractures or other injuries during a bout, ensuring they have adequate time to recover before competing again.
Under the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) rules, any boxer who is stopped by the referee, other than through disqualification, retires during a contest or is counted out must serve an automatic medical suspension. The rules state that a boxer's licence is immediately suspended for a minimum of 28 clear days.
This can be extended to 45 clear days or longer at the discretion of the Board's Senior Medical Officer in attendance at the event. The suspension is automatic and does not require an individual hearing or appeal, nor does it involve a judgement on the fighter's conduct. The same rules apply whether a bout is stopped due to cuts or a knockout.
Wardley accepts responsibility
However, it remains unclear how long Wardley will be sidelined following his defeat to Dubois.
When asked whether the rematch had come too soon for him, Wardley replied: "No, not in the slightest, not at all. I came in, I didn't execute the game plan properly, that's all. I hold my hands up to that, it's entirely down to me."
"When I step through the ropes, it's only myself. It's only me bouncing around in the ring and doing everything. There's no blame to be passed around. When I win, it's all me as well. We'll go back to the drawing board as a team, there's no shame in losing to a great competitor like Daniel."
Dubois eyes unification fights
Meanwhile, Dubois is already gearing up for his next fight. When asked about his plans, the Brit said: "Whoever's next in line really. I'm the champion now and I want to get some big fights in now. This stage of my career, big money, big fights. You're the man, Frank [Warren], yeah?"
When asked what 2027 looks like, Warren explained: "It looks like unification fights. We're going to find out who is the best, who's going to fight for the four belts. That's what we're working towards, that's what they all want."
"They want big fights, these guys, they want to earn big money. And you can only do that with making the best fight the best. Best fights the best, and we find out who is the best."
Dubois is believed to have earned between £2m and £2.5m from the bout. As anyone who earns over £125,140 annually is subject to the highest tax rate of 45%, he will pay just over £928,000 in tax from a £2m purse. For a £2.5m fee, he would pay £1.15m in tax.
