Wardley needs time before Dubois rematch, says Harrison

Fabio Wardley should delay his rematch with Daniel Dubois to fix technical problems exposed in their WBO heavyweight title fight, according to Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison.

Wardley lost his belt when the referee stopped him on his feet in the 11th round earlier this month, having been battered in the later stages despite dropping Dubois twice earlier in the contest. Harrison told Sky Sports News the stoppage came a round late and that the British challenger needs significant gym time before trying again.

Rematch clause makes second fight inevitable

Wardley holds a rematch clause in his contract, and Harrison expects him to use it despite believing more preparation is required. "In the boxing world when you have a rematch clause it's very hard not to take it, that's just typically what we see," Harrison said. "I would like Team Wardley, including Ben Davison, to look in the mirror and say we have to go back to the drawing board and fix some of the things we need to fix so that we can be successful in the fight."

Harrison credited Wardley's rapid rise from white-collar boxing but argued the step up in class revealed gaps. Dubois began applying boxing fundamentals from the fifth or sixth round and wore Wardley down with cleaner work. "Technically I think Dubois done a great job and I think that's what separated him," Harrison said.

The rematch is expected to land later this year, driven by contractual obligations and the financial incentive both camps face. Harrison noted that waiting 12 months would likely forfeit the chance altogether, leaving Wardley little choice but to take the fight sooner than he might need.

Source: skysports.com