Daniel Dubois candidly shared his thoughts on an immediate rematch with Fabio Wardley, whom he stopped in the 11th round of a thrilling fight last Saturday.

The two clashed in a brutal heavyweight war in Manchester, with Dubois surviving two knockdowns to become a two-time world champion.

Interestingly, this was the 28-year-old’s first appearance since last July was vacated as IBF champion after a decisive fifth-round stoppage against Oleksandr Usyk.

The lack of momentum had little impact on his overall performance, however, as “DDD” fought like the man who possessed and dethroned the previously undefeated Wardley.

After knocking down his fighter in rounds one and three, Wardley found it complex to find further success as Dubois repeatedly landed his powerful jab.

It must be admitted that the Ipswich fighter showed great determination in trying to retain his WBO title, but could have been stopped several times before referee Howard Foster intervened.

Queensberry’s promoter, Frank Warren, then revealed during Dubois’s post-fight interview that there was a rematch clause in the contract.

When asked about a potential return, Dubois said at the post-fight press conference that he would be more than joyful to jump right into the fire.

“If that happens…yes, continue.”

Time will tell if Wardley activates his rematch clause, although both fighters certainly deserve a long break after the mammoth brawl.

Meanwhile, heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma is the top contender for the WBO heavyweight title and has said he would have no hesitation in signing up to fight as challenger.

Andre Dirrell believes that Errol Spence Jr. is taking a hazardous risk by returning from a three-year hiatus against Tim Tszyu, warning that the punishment Spence has taken throughout his career could become a major problem in the fight.

Spence will face Tszyu at the 158-pound catchweight on July 25 in Australia in his first fight since a ninth-round loss to Terence Crawford in 2023.

Dirrell had doubts whether Tszyu was the right opponent to return after such a long absence.

“Listen, it’s Tim Tszyu, man. We all know he’s a tough guy,” Dirrell said in an interview Fight. “A fight like this deserves a proper comeback.”

Dirrell said Tszyu’s aggressive style could force Spence into a physical fight that becomes hazardous for a veteran returning after years away from the ring.

“Both guys are going to get beat up a little bit,” Dirrell said. “My question is: How will Errol get out of this?”

The former super middleweight champion also touched on Spence’s punishment against Crawford, as well as the damage Spence was already feeling to his body from previous fights and the 2019 Ferrari accident, during which Spence survived a brutal crash in Dallas.

“His brain remembers the type of punishment he took,” Dirrell said, discussing Spence’s loss to Crawford. “When he goes in there and starts shooting, whether he thinks he’s ready for it or not, his training may not be.”

Tszyu enters the fight as a younger and more vigorous fighter. Even though he lost to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, many fans still see him as one of the toughest fighters in the division and the fighters with the most physical pressure.

Dirrell admitted he was still hopeful that Spence could make a successful return to fighting, but he had doubts whether the former unified welterweight champion needed to come back at all.

“He should have felt comfortable hanging it up now,” Dirrell said. “He didn’t need a victory to sail off into the sunset.”

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last update: 2026/05/12 at 12:07

Shakur Stevenson insisted that David Benavidez fight for the “best fight in boxing” instead of defending his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles.

Last week, “The Mexican Monster” became world champion in three divisions. dethroning Gilberto Ramirez after a penalty stoppage in the sixth round in his first appearance at 200 pounds.

As a result, Benavidez entered the conversation about a fight with former cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia and possibly even Oleksandr Usyk.

Moving up to heavyweight or even staying at 200 pounds would certainly be a bold move, especially considering Benavidez admitted he weighed just 202 pounds on the night of his triumph over Ramirez.

Based on this information, four-time world champion Stevenson stated that he would prefer to see the 29-year-old drop back down to 175 pounds.

After all, he holds the WBC airy heavyweight title, which he won after Dmitry Bivol vacated the belt following an undisputed victory over Artur Beterbiev in February 2025.

This was because the Russian opted to undergo back surgery rather than face his then mandatory rival, which ultimately led to Benavidez’s promotion from “interim” to full world champion.

But now, as Bivol prepares to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30, he may soon want to become a two-time undisputed king.

According to Stevenson, this is the best-case scenario Agnew Podcast that he hopes Benavidez will compete at his more natural weight.

“I don’t think I want to see him fight at 200 pounds. I’d rather see him fight [at 175lbs against] Buffalo [or] Beterbiev.”

“I think so [Bivol-Benavidez is] the best fight in boxing.”

Although the sounds of a potential Usyk fight seem to be getting louder, it is worth emphasizing that Benavidez and Bivol have already started preliminary talks.