Fabio Wardley’s co-trainer Ben Davison has posted a statement on social media following criticism for not withdrawing his fighter from Saturday’s clash with Daniel Dubois. Boxing fans were stunned that the trainer did not throw in the towel when Wardley was hit by hefty shots from Dubois in the closing stages of the fight.

Davison admitted the fight could have been stopped earlier, but insisted he did not witness Wardley trip over the doctor and maintained the defending champion responded to Dubois’ attack in the 10th and 11th rounds. Dubois, 28, rose to the top twice, stopping Wardley in the 11th round, silencing critics about his own fortitude.

Wardley knocked Dubois to the ground in just 10 seconds, landing his first punch of the fight that sent shockwaves through the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, before hitting the deck again in the third round. Nevertheless, he rallied and left Wardley’s face bruised and bloody, unleashing a devastating right hand in the 11th as Howard Foster intervened by waving away the fight.

Some fans were surprised that Davison would allow his fighter to stay in the ring for so long, with it likely that Dubois was ready to deliver a powerful punch that could have changed his life.

Davison has previously won praise for his impeccable timing when throwing in the towel, which helped Tyson Fury get back on his feet and knock out Deontay Wilder on a historic night, while also keeping Leigh Wood in the ring during his triumph over Michael Conlan.

In a statement posted on his Instagram, Davison said: “Last night, first of all, congratulations to Dubois. Two incredible fighters in a newfangled classic. We are very proud of Fabio. I actually agree that the fight could have been stopped earlier. I didn’t see Fabio stumble before he went to the doctor at the beginning of round 10.”

“Ironically, we talked to each other about having the towel in hand.” After this time, he went to the doctor and his legs seemed to be much more stable, which we observed. It’s an extremely hard task to not only find your balance, but also strike your attacker at just the right moment to stop such a fight on a whim as your fighter reacts and returns fire.

“I was praised for not toweling Fury (Wilder). I was praised for not toweling Wood (Conlan). I was first criticized and then praised for not toweling Wood (Lara). We looked at it twice, but on one occasion the end of the round came, two Fabios took shots and killed Dubois’ momentum. Again, it was very hard considering the fact that the fighter quickly he reacted and responded.

“I’ve seen mixed opinions on this, but I agree it COULD have been ended sooner. But with that being said, I think Howard Foster did an excellent job on his terms.

“It’s very uncomplicated to forget what Fabio has achieved. From four white-collar fights to becoming world heavyweight champion. It’s not an uncomplicated task for us or for us to lend a hand lead against the best in the world. It’s never been done before and it’ll never be done again.”

Fabio Wardley took a moment to assure his mother, Shonni-leigh, at ringside that he was OK following his devastating loss to Daniel Dubois. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight just 28 seconds into the 11th round, with the champion no longer able to defend himself.

Wardley (31) was still on his feet at the time and somehow Dubois was not knocked down throughout the grueling fight. Nevertheless, his right eye became completely swollen, severely impairing his vision, and the bridge of his nose bled profusely, making it tough to breathe.

After the break, Wardley collapsed to the canvas – although that was due to sheer exhaustion and the relief of the punishment finally being over. Once on his feet, the dethroned champion went to his mother, Shonni-leigh, at ringside and leaned over the ropes, repeatedly telling her everything was fine before retreating to his corner. Doctors from the British Boxing Board of Control examined his injuries three times during the fight, but each time they allowed the fight to continue.

The consensus is that Wardley conceded the last few rounds after a promising start. He knocked down Dubois twice in the first three rounds, gaining a decisive advantage after two rounds 10-8.

However, these were probably the only rounds in which Wardley won as his opponent later took decisive control and at the time of the stoppage the champion appeared to lose his advantage on the scorecards. This situation caused many viewers to call for an end to the fight for several rounds before referee Foster finally stepped in.

One fan told the BBC it was a “disgrace”, claiming he had “never felt so uncomfortable watching a boxing match” and concluded it was “horrible”. Another added: “We’re used to entertainment but this was brutal.”

Yet another accused Foster of “terrible refereeing,” saying the fight “should have been stopped earlier.” Someone else agreed, saying: “It was stopped a little too behind schedule and it was getting ugly.”

However, his mother never hesitated to participate in his fights. Wardley told DAZN last October: “She’s always been my biggest fan.”

“It’s amusing, when you talk about boxing or combat sports in general about your mom, it can be very brutal. She was the one who never hid behind her hands, or didn’t look, or didn’t look at what was going on. She was always noisy in front of the crowd, jumping to her feet, cheering, screaming, just trying to get into the ring herself if she could. In that sense, she was my biggest supporter.”