In rare heavyweight fights like Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois, all the traditional safety measures can get lost in the drama and savagery of the night.
The corner, the referee and the doctors are ringside in boxing to make sure the fighters leave the ring healthy. But on Saturday night on the outskirts of Manchester, close to midnight at the Co-op Live arena, 18,212 fanatics played their part in an unforgettable fight that crossed several of the sport’s boundaries.
It was a blood-thirsty Saturday-night crowd, and they packed the new arena in anticipation of something special, something memorable, and something brutal – they got all three. The WBO heavyweight title was just a trinket attraction.
Wardley was rescued after 28 seconds of the 11th round, and Dubois was hauled away to celebrate the win; it was the end of a fight that took both men to the very extremes in a boxing business where total sacrifice does happen. Wardley against Dubois on Saturday had that feeling very early. It was not always easy to watch, but it was also impossible to look away.
The raw statistics are impressive enough, but they fail to tell the whole story; Dubois was down after 12 seconds of the first round, and again in the third. He survived on stiff legs and with petrified eyes. Wardley started to take a beating from about round six; the referee, Howard Foster, called the doctors up onto the ring canvas to inspect him at the start of the ninth and 10th rounds.
Wardley’s corner looked worried, but still he walked out at the start of each round for more. Wardley was cut, hurt, staggered repeatedly, and both eyes were closing – and still he kept swinging; Wardley has come back in fights he was losing before. That is his trademark, his signature in the boxing rings.
Saturday, however, was different. It was a lost cause and he was too damaged for a fairytale finish. Dubois was smart, accurate and hurtful. And still the crowd roared louder when the medics gave Wardley a clear to continue sign. That is raw, that is fanatical. Yes, it did feel Iike a barbaric fight to the end.
It is far too easy and convenient from the safe side of the ropes to condemn the brutality, too easy to find flaws with the outcome. In the boxing business, the fighters make those ridiculous sacrifices and people get dragged in – the corner, the ref, the doctors, the opposite team, and the wild-eyed paying public.
On a calmer night, with less at stake, the fight would have ended earlier. On Saturday night, it finished only when Wardley was close to collapse, helpless in defence and still resisting. It was a stunning last stand and that is how some of our greatest fights end.
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Still, it was not only the fans who were in disbelief at the prolonged brutality. Esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan, who once guided Dubois, appeared outraged at Wardley’s sustained punishment.
McGuigan pointed at Wardley’s history of “being dangerous whilst you are hurt” and how that could be deemed to be a “curse” in this situation. He then labelled trainer Ben Davison and Wardley’s corner “chumps” for allowing the fight to continue. He added on social media: “What a fantastic fight, but for me, seeing boxing day in, day out, and then the repercussions of what the sport can do to a human’s health, I felt it incredibly hard to watch those last three rounds.
“Fabio is an amazing puncher but he was so hurt that I believe the punch power had left him and Daniel has adjusted to him. That is when the fight was over for Fabio. congratulations to Daniel and more importantly [trainer] Don Charles.”
Meanwhile, The Independent’s Alex Pattle – also ringside in Manchester – admitted to feeling equal amounts of intrigue and discomfort in the later rounds. “The boxing fan in me wanted to see more action; the human side wanted an earlier, merciful end for Wardley.”
Nobody in boxing needs to make apologies for what they signed up for; this business is total. In the ideal world of sport, Wardley would have been rescued earlier, but Saturday’s glorious fight was not part of that “ideal” world; it was part of our heartless, savage, addictive and crazy sport.
Working six feet from the canvas for Five Live with Richie Woodhall, we both wanted it stopped in about round nine, but we still urged the pair on as they fought for six more minutes and 28 unforgettable seconds. At 2am, I found Wardley’s blood splatters on my shirt; boxing is like no other bloody business.
