After Saturday’s heavyweight classic, one of the key topics of conversation was whether Fabio Wardley’s corner should have pulled his man out earlier, and former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew shared his view on the matter.

Wardley defended his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois, but despite two early knockdowns starting in the seventh round, it quickly became clear that the champion was fading.

With Dubois attacking and attacking, the once even fight slowly became one-sided, and after two doctor checks and continued attacking, referee Howard Foster finally intervened in round 11.

While many viewers questioned whether manager Ben Davison should have saved Wardley from an unnecessary penalty, Bellew defended the coach during a TV interview Fight Your Corner Podcast.

“I’m not like many others. I don’t think it should have been stopped earlier. I think the referee did a great job. I don’t think the towel should have been thrown in earlier for the straightforward reason that Fabio Wardley has already shown on many occasions, that he never takes him out of a fight.

“Even if he’s miles behind, even if he’s been injured in a fight, he can pull his hand out of the bag at any time, and for that reason alone, that’s why he should have been allowed to continue playing.

“This is the reason why players like Arturo Gatti were able to continue playing against players like Micky Ward. With his neck up against the ropes and getting punched in the face regularly and Frank Cappuccino [referee] let’s leave it alone, it’s because of the history it has. So they allowed this fight to continue and in my opinion they were right.

“You’ll never make fights truly magical unless you allow the carnage to unfold.”

After a precautionary check-up at a nearby hospital, it was confirmed that Wardley was not seriously injured in the fight. The Ipswich fan favorite could now act his rematch clause and will try to take revenge for the first defeat in his professional career, becoming a two-time heavyweight ruler.

Former two-division world champion Bobby Czyz has spent most of his life somehow coping with situations that could easily have killed him.

Now, at the age of 63, Czyz faces another brutal battle after being diagnosed with aggressive squamous cell cancer of his right nostril and neck.

The surgeries necessary to remove the cancer left the former boxing star with a severe facial disfigurement and extensive scarring on his face and nose.

Photos shared publicly by Czyż during his recovery surprised many boxing fans, who remembered him as one of the toughest champions of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s.

But even now, the Novel Jersey striker still sounds like a fighter.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Czyż wrote under one of the restoration photos. “We can all rise up.”

This mentality accompanied him through almost every stage of his life.

Bobby Czyz has avoided disaster time and time again

Long before winning the world title, Czyz narrowly avoided one of boxing’s darkest tragedies.

In 1980, members of the United States amateur boxing team died on board Polish Airlines LOT 007 in a crash near Warsaw.

Was it supposed to be part of the trip? He only avoided boarding the plane because he was recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Escape has become one of the defining “what if?” moments of his life.

Czyz eventually turned professional and became a two-weight world champion, winning the IBF delicate heavyweight title and later winning the WBA cruiserweight crown.

Known as “The Matinee Idol,” Czyż (44-8, 28 KO) fought in the ring with names such as Evander Holyfield, Virgil Hill, Charles Williams and Corrie Sanders in an era full of threatening fighters.

But the punishment in the ropes wasn’t the only trauma he experienced.

In 2007, Czyz was rescued from a burning vehicle after another terrible car accident, which left him with sedate facial injuries.

Now, almost two decades later, cancer has forced him to fight again.

The boxing world is rooting for Bobby Czyż

Friends and figures from the boxing world have already begun to rally around the former champion as he continues his rehabilitation.

Nick Furris wrote: “Good friend, boxing icon and three-time champion Bobby Czyż will fight the biggest fight of his life.

“Out of nowhere, Bobby was diagnosed with nose and neck cancer.

“I spoke to him today and he is in good spirits after the surgery, but he has a long road ahead of him.

“For those who have seen him fight or know him, please take a moment and say a prayer. Knowing Bobby, if there is one SOB who can beat ‘C’, it will be him.”

In 2026, Czyz explained her cancer discovery in an interview with The What’s Next Kid (thewhatsnextkid) on Instagram.

He said: “One morning I woke up with a lump in my nose. The doctors said it was a polyp with cancer.

“Now I have to go through all these surgeries to try and look even remotely cute again.”

For many boxing fans, images of Czyz barely resemble the fighter they watched during his championship years.

But the mindset still is.

After surviving boxing, a plane crash, devastating crashes and now cancer surgery, Bobby Czyz is still trying to rise again.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Richard Torrez Jr. says Frank Sanchez remains a hazardous opponent ahead of their IBF heavyweight eliminator on May 23 in Egypt, but believes the pressure and pace could ultimately break Sanchez.

Torrez discussed Sanchez during an interview this week ahead of their fight at the Glory at Giza event near the Giza Pyramids.

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Last updated: 15/05/2026 at 2:03