Dubois v Wardley 2 - all you need to know

Live text commentary will begin at 21:00 BST on Saturday, 17 October on the BBC Sport website and app.Radio commentary from London will begin at 21:00 on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live for the main event at 22:00.Stacey Copeland will present the live coverage, joined by lead commentator Ronald McIntosh, with Steve Bunce and former super-middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall providing co-commentary.Alongside the audio coverage, BBC Sport will also bring fans a live watch-along on BBC iPlayer plus the BBC Sport website and app, BBC Sport YouTube & TikTok channels, starting just before the main event begins.Broadcaster and journalist Nick Peet, British heavyweight champion Richard Riakporhe, and BBC Sounds' Punch Perfect hosts Emily Smith and Liam Gough will provide live reaction, analysis, debate and discussion as the fight unfolds.The first fight at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena had almost everything - knockdowns, momentum shifts, heavy exchanges and a remarkable comeback.Wardley made a sensational start, twice dropping Dubois, but the fight swung as Dubois recovered and eventually forced an 11th-round stoppage.But it became increasingly uncomfortable to watch. Wardley fought on despite a badly damaged nose and one eye being swollen shut, with doctors checking him twice at ringside before allowing the contest to continue.By the 10th round he was struggling badly and there were calls for the fight to have been stopped earlier.Former world champion Carl Frampton described Wardley as the "bravest man he'd ever seen", but said the referee or his corner should have intervened before the 10th, while Darren Barker called for the fight to be stopped to protect Wardley.The statistics underline the punishment he absorbed. Dubois landed 179 punches to Wardley's 97, with 87 power punches by Dubois compared with Wardley's 40.But both men emerged with reputations enhanced. Wardley's willingness to keep fighting demonstrated extraordinary heart, while Dubois answered questions which had followed him earlier in his career about his own resilience.The heavyweight landscape could look very different by the end of the year.Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in December, more than a decade after a fight between the British rivals was first discussed.Their bout has reportedly been earmarked for a WBA 'super' heavyweight title, although that has proved controversial.Gassiev remains listed by the WBA as its world champion and his team have lodged an objection to the prospect of another WBA heavyweight champion being crowned.But it means the winner of Dubois-Wardley could enter 2027 with several lucrative options.For Dubois, another victory would settle his rivalry with Wardley at 2-0 and give him a successful first defence of his second world title reign.At the age of 29, wins over Joshua, Hrgovic and Wardley twice would leave Dubois with one of the strongest recent records among the division's leading heavyweights.Unification fights against Kabayel or Hrgovic would be obvious targets, while the winner of Fury-Joshua could provide another huge all-British option depending on how the WBA title situation develops.For Wardley, victory would see him regain the title, avenge the only defeat of his career and put himself firmly in the conversation for unification fights.The consequences of defeat are slightly different, though. A second successive loss to Dubois would leave Wardley needing to rebuild before another world title opportunity.Should Dubois lose, the rivalry would stand at 1-1 and calls for a third fight would begin almost immediately.