Fabio Wardley reassured his mother, Shonni-leigh, at ringside that he was OK after a bruising defeat to Daniel Dubois. The referee, Howard Foster, stopped their fight 28 seconds into the 11th round with Wardley unable to defend himself anymore.
Wardley, 31, was still standing at the time and was not knocked down by Dubois during the brutal bout. However, his right eye was swollen shut, compromising his vision, and the bridge of his nose was bleeding heavily, affecting his breathing. After the stoppage, Wardley fell to the canvas due to exhaustion and relief that the beating ended.
Once back upright, the dethroned champion sought out his mother at ringside. While leaning over the ropes, Wardley repeatedly reassured her that he was OK before sitting down in his corner. His mother has always been his biggest fan, attending fights and cheering loudly.
British Boxing Board of Control doctors inspected his injuries three times in the ring, but on each occasion let the fight continue. The consensus is that Wardley lost the last several rounds after his early success. He dropped Dubois twice in the opening three rounds, but those were arguably the only rounds he won.
Fans expressed outrage at the late stoppage, with one calling it a 'disgrace' and another saying they had 'never been so uncomfortable watching a boxing match.' Some accused referee Foster of 'terrible refereeing,' suggesting the fight should have been stopped earlier.
