Fabio Wardley fell short in an attempt to avenge his defeat to Daniel Dubois and reclaim the WBO heavyweight world title last weekend.

Now, there are calls for the Ipswich fan-favourite to retire, with one former heavyweight ruler believing that, if he doesn’t, it will ‘not be good for his health’.

Wardley was elevated to full WBO heavyweight world champion in late 2025 and accepted a daring first defence of the belt against Dubois.

However, despite flooring ‘Triple D’ twice in the opening three rounds, Wardley lost his belt to the Londoner via technical knockout in round 11, following a fight of the year candidate.

However, in their rematch last Saturday, the difference in levels became far more evident as Dubois brutally dismissed any chance of the upset by running through Wardley inside two rounds.

Speaking to talkSPORTformer cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye argued that Wardley’s lack of boxing experience was evident, claiming the 31-year-old had “missed too many lessons”.

“Wardley made no adjustments in regards to the fight that he was in and he is going to really struggle staying at this level.

“I really like Wardley, he has amazing ability in regards to toughness, you can’t touch his toughness. But, the unfortunate part is that he has missed too many lessons earlier on in his career. The feet, the balance, he is so far on his front leg.”

Haye also addressed whether Wardley should retire, insisting that the former world champion remains capable of putting on ‘great fights’, while warning that they ‘will not be good for his health’.

“He could continue and we’d have some great fights, but it is not going to be good for his health.”

Dubois is expected to return to action as soon as February, whilst many are advising Wardley to have a long lay-off, if he decides to ignore the opinions of other fighters and remain in the sport.

Arnold Barboza Jr. dropped word on social media that a massive welterweight title opportunity just landed in his lap on short notice. While he confirmed that 147 pounds is locked in with a belt on the line, he kept the identity of his opponent quiet for now.

Speculation immediately involved Devin Haney after Haney’s anticipated matchup with Shakur Stevenson fell apart. Barboza’s remarks point to a fast-developing opening, even if ink has not officially met paper yet.

“I got some news today. It’s a blessing. I don’t know how real it is, but it sounds pretty real. It might be a big fight sooner than expected,” Barboza said on social media. “I’ll be stepping in at the last minute on some s***, but I don’t know where it’s going to be at, but it’s soon.”

The tight calendar creates the biggest hurdle. Barboza appears fully ready to sign before even knowing the host city, but world championship bouts offer zero room for entering camp cold. Securing an unexpected offer represents one hurdle; having the necessary weeks to dial in a precise tactical blueprint presents an entirely separate challenge.

If Haney ends up standing across the ring, Barboza faces an elite defensive technician. Taking on Haney demands an answer for his distance control, lead hand control, and inside tie ups. Simply tracking him across the canvas without cutting the ring effectively will turn the contest into a frustrating chase.

“A lot sooner than expected. Not no next year fight. A couple of weeks soon. Yeah, I’m fighting at 147. Yeah, it’ll be for a belt. We got to go for legacy,” Barboza said.

Teofimo Lopez also figures heavily into Barboza’s long-range calculations. Barboza sees capturing a 147-pound crown as his quickest ticket to securing a second chance against Lopez after coming up short in their junior welterweight clash.

“It’s not a rematch with Teo. Not yet. I got to win this belt to rematch him,” Barboza admitted.

Holding a world title strap provides massive leverage at the negotiating table. The immediate task requires transforming the sudden opening into an executed contract, setting up a targeted training block, and verifying the sanctioning body timeline.

David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia continue to be linked to a future cruiserweight clash, and four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr has had his say on who he is favouring to come out on top in their proposed battle.

Benavidez is in hot pursuit of the undisputed cruiserweight title. He is currently in possession of both the WBA and WBO world titles but expected to next face WBC titleholder Michal Cieslak in a three-belt unification showdown on December 5.

Meanwhile, Opetaia has an ongoing lawsuit against the IBF – who stripped him of his world title for a second time earlier this year – as he hopes to be reinstated as champion and subsequently tee up a meeting with Benavidez for all four belts.

Opetaia is simultaneously being linked to a heavyweight debut, mooted to be taking on Deontay Wilder on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard in December.

Speaking on the Hall of Game podcastJones says that he expects Benavidez to get the better of Opetaia if they collide.

“I want to see how David fares in that fight [against Opetaia] first [before he moves up to heavyweight]. I think that David probably wins the fight but I want to see how he fares in the fight.”

Should Opetaia not be reinstated as the IBF cruiserweight champion, it is believed that Viddal Riley and David Nyika will meet for the vacant belt. If that were to happen, it remains to be seen whether Benavidez would divert from his three-fight plan in order to capture the undisputed crown.