Questions continue to surround whether Fabio Wardley’s corner should have stopped his brutal fight against Daniel Dubois earlier after the heavyweight absorbed sustained punishment during their dramatic showdown on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Wardley showed tremendous toughness throughout the contest despite suffering severe swelling around his eye, heavy bleeding, and repeated power shots from Dubois before eventually being stopped the fight in the 11th round. The decision to allow the bout to continue has since divided opinion across the boxing world.
Now Frank Warren has weighed in and has shared his thoughts on the ongoing criticism of Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison.
Warren says Fabio Wardley previous comebacks influenced the decision
In his recent appearance on talkSPORT Boxing, Warren admitted he believes the fight may have gone on too long, though he understood why Davison and the corner allowed Wardley to continue.
“I have got to be honest with you and I will speak the truth on it – I think that it did,” Warren said when asked whether the fight continued too long.
However, Warren explained that Wardley’s previous comeback victories against Justis Huni and Joseph Parker likely influenced the thinking inside the corner.
“But, I know what the full process behind him was, because of the fact of what he did from behind in fights both with Huni and Parker and how he pulled it out of the bag,” Warren explained.
Warren recalled Wardley’s dramatic late comeback against Parker and noted that the heavyweight was still searching for a similar fight-changing punch against Dubois.
“It was the 10th round wasn’t it, against Parker? He pulled it out and knocked him over,” Warren said.
Warren says Dubois’ power made the damage worse
Warren also pointed out that the punishment Wardley absorbed against Dubois was significantly more severe than in his previous fights.
“As you could see, he was trying to throw that same punch,” Warren explained.
“But he didn’t take the punishment in the Parker or Huni fight, as he did against Daniel.”
Warren then praised Dubois’ power following the heavyweight champion’s performance.
“Daniel is a phenomenal puncher,” he said. “He is a big puncher as a heavyweight.”
Warren admits he would have stopped the fight earlier
Despite defending Davison’s logic, Warren ultimately admitted that he personally would have made a different decision during the fight.
“Having said that, you know, Ben and the team are seasoned trainers and cornerman,” Warren said.
“They feel that they know what they’re doing, but me, I would have pulled my man out.”
Despite the criticism surrounding the stoppage, the heavyweight clash has already been labeled by many fans as an early fight of the year contender for the heart and toughness both fighters displayed throughout the bout.
Meanwhile, promoter Warren has also confirmed that a rematch clause exists in the contract, potentially opening the door for Dubois and Wardley to meet again.
