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Was Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois the best heavyweight fight ever?
It's been three days since Daniel Dubois stopped WBO world heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley in a heavyweight epic, and it's still the talk of the boxing world.
The world title bout had everything from knockdowns to a fighter covered in blood, it kept every single person enthralled from the opening bell to when the contest was stopped in round 11.
A fight as thrilling and entertaining as this has seen it enter the conversation when it comes to where it ranks amongst other classic heavyweight clashes of the past.
DAZN News' panel of boxing experts give their verdicts on whether Wardley vs. Dubois was indeed one of the greatest heavyweight fights.
Matt Astbury
In terms of the modern era, yes.
I'm basing this judgement on heavyweight fights that I have seen live since I became a boxing fan, and this is right up there.
I was in attendance for Anthony Joshua's meeting with Wladimir Klitschko, whilst fuelling myself with caffeine to watch Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder slug it out in Las Vegas, which are two of my favourite heavyweight fights.
Wardley and Dubois produce heavyweight epic in Manchester
Watch the highlights below
When it comes to Wardley-Dubois, it may surpass them.
The brutality, the drama of the two early knockdowns and Wardley's warrior spirit was boxing at its very best. It may not have been one for the purists when it comes to boxing skills, but it is these sorts of fights which bring in new fans and often satisfy the desire to see a good, old fashioned tear up.
Steve Muehlhausen
Going in, we knew that Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois wouldn't go the distance. Not with a combined 42 wins and 40 knockouts. Without a doubt, Wardley-Dubois is one of the greatest heavyweight fights we have ever seen.
Dubois came back from the jaws of defeat to stop Wardley after battering him from one side of the ring to the other in the latter half of the fight. To Wardley's credit, he left everything he had inside the ring and refused to go down despite the beating.
The only other fight to rival Wardley-Dubois in this generation is the trilogy fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in October 2021. That fight delivered five knockdowns, with Fury winning with the final one in the 11th round.
Drama, knockdowns, grit, and desire is exactly what the doctor delivered on Saturday, and for that, we should tip our hats to Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois for a fight for the ages.
Andrew Steel
In a word, no - but it certainly feels as if this bout has earned its stripes among the sport's modern-day heavyweight contenders, what with the blood, guts and glory on show from both men in the ring.
Truthfully, save for the two rounds where he floored Daniel Dubois, Fabio Wardley found himself under the cosh far too often to consider this an even bout, with his rival's amateur pedigree shining through.
The Ipswich fighter is a smart man, a student of the sport who knows how to deploy a more limited repertoire with acumen. Sadly, by the sixth round, his ideas looked to have been mostly exhausted.
So, a great heavyweight fight, undoubtedly. But the greatest? It's not even arguably the best in the last decade, with Joshua-Klitschko and Fury-Wilder III just two top-drawer candidates that spring to mind.
Look even further back, and you've got Holyfield-Tyson I, The Thriller in Manila, The Rumble in the Jungle... it goes on and on. Perhaps with time, Wardley-Dubois will hold greater stock - for now, it must wait.
Christopher Walker
A handful of heavyweight title fights are at home in the very top tier such as Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III and the first Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield fight, but if there’s a level just below then that is where Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois belongs.
This could be the best heavyweight title fight since 1992, the year of Bowe vs Holyfield I, and it certainly moves ahead of other modern classics such as Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III.
The knockdowns, the ups and downs, Dubois’ heart, Wardley’s chin, each man’s bravery, and non-stop action that saw Dubois dropped with pretty much the first punch of the fight before ending matters himself some 30 minutes later.
Some may say it lacked skill and preciseness, but boxing is very much a drama as it is sport, and for as long as this fight was happening, you could not take your eyes off it.
Wardley and Dubois delivered an instant classic on Saturday night. It could be a very long time before anything equals it.
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