The time has come once again for this observer to pull out the periodic feature here on The Boxing Truth®️ Jabs And Observations. A feature column that was originally thought up as a bi-monthly addition as an attempt by yours truly to cover even more ground than what is typically found during a standard calendar year in covering the sport of Boxing. In more recent times, however, the concept of what I refer to as J&O in referencing upcoming features on social media has been used when pauses in the usual schedule have been unwanted, but necessary. Recent times have necessitated a J&O return, this edition broken into two parts, which will encompass October 2026 In part one, we will touch briefly on two bouts, which began the month of October 2026 and will then cross into a preview of sorts of two significant world championship bouts that will take place on Saturday, October 17th.
First, we will briefly revisit a bout that took place on October 1st at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL, where unbeaten former Olympic Silver medalist Omari Jones met veteran contender Alan Sanchez in a bout in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. Initially thought by some to be a step up against a fighter with more experience, in reality proved to be the showcase it was intended to be for Jones, who was stepping into his first main event before a supportive hometown crowd in Orlando. It did not take long for Jones to make his point as he battered Sanchez down into a corner in the second round and the fight was stopped. It was a short and sweet statement that Jones was able to make in his first main event.
While this fight served as exactly what it was intended to be, a showcase for Jones, it is important to keep in mind that this was only his eighth professional fight and the task of needing to step up his level of competition will continue to be a prominent subject of discussion as 2027 nears. Despite a significant experience edge, Alan Sanchez was not able to provide much resistance as, once Jones saw an opening, he took full advantage and was able to execute where Sanchez was not given room to breathe. Whether or not he will be able to do that against higher caliber opponents remains to be seen.
This brings us to what was a significant encounter in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division on October 2nd in Birmingham, England at the Utilita Arena, where top contenders Ben Whitaker and Conor Wallace met in a world title elimination bout to determine the next mandatory challenger in the IBF’s Light-Heavyweight ratings. For a significant portion of this fight, Whitaker dictated the combat using lateral movement and combination punching to carry the action. The dynamic of the contest began to change in the eighth round when Wallace was able to come on and put pressure on the undefeated Whitaker and built momentum into the twelfth and final round where he had Whitaker badly staggered and seemingly out on his feet, but he was not able to force a stoppage and Whitaker was able to hold on for a twelve round unanimous decision victory. Then came an unexpected revelation from Whitaker’s trainer, former World Middleweight champion Andy Lee, who told Wallace in the ring during a post-fight interview after the decision was announced that Whitaker had been suffering from COVID-19 in the week before the bout took place.
Somewhat predictably, the fans in attendance did not seem to buy Lee’s explanation, but this observer will always air on the side of caution when it comes to matters of a fighter’s health so I will take the explanation because ultimately, only the fighter and his team will know if he was ill or not. What I will say, however, is it may be easy to forget only six years ago, the world was in the middle of a global epidemic and though life worldwide has seemingly gone back to normal, COVID-19 and its variants remain an issue that will come up from time to time. The best we can hope for is that the world never has to experience anything that resembles what was a horrible epidemic in 2020.
With the aforementioned bouts that began the month now discussed and concluded, our focus now shifts to what is ahead. On October 17th two significant world title fights will bookend a full day of Boxing that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. First among these two bouts will be a highly anticipated rematch for the WBO World Heavyweight championship as two-time World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will face the man he defeated in May of this year to become a two-time world champion, former champion Fabio Wardley in the first defense of his second reign as world champion. The rematch, which will take place at O2 Arena in London, England can be seen worldwide either as a standalone pay-per-view offering or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan.
Some may recall following the first encounter in May between these two hard-hitting Heavyweights, where Daniel Dubois emerged as a two-time world champion, I asked a simple, yet complex question: When should a fight be stopped?
Despite going to the canvas in the opening round and the appearance of a potential quick fight between the two noted “Knockout Artists,” Dubois was able to get up and quickly, but expectedly, the contest turned rapidly into a shootout with both fighters throwing punches with knockout intent. Dubois would be sent down a second time in round three, but as he had done in the first, he picked himself up and it was not long before it was him landing the harder, seemingly more damaging blows of the two.
By the eighth round, Dubois had turned the fight in his favor and had dished out the type of beating to the champion that I felt warranted the bout be stopped, despite knowing after decades in the sport and a lifetime of watching fights that at least theoretically, a champion is given every possible benefit of doubt before a fight is stopped either by the referee or the fighter’s corner. In this case, Wardley was still throwing back and had some periodic success, but as the fight progressed both his output as well as the effectiveness of the punches he threw diminished. While Fabio Wardley has had to battle fatigue later in fights previous to this fight against Daniel Dubois and had been able to turn what seemed to be likely defeat into victory via knockout, this was not merely the element of fatigue as he was being battered by Dubois. The beating was finally halted by Referee Howard Foster in the eleventh round giving Dubois his second world title.
If one were to ask for an honest opinion from this observer, I thought the stoppage was late and frankly, I question the wisdom of having the rematch only five months later even though Wardley is contractually entitled to a rematch and, despite how things gradually turned in Dubois’ favor, the fight did exceed every possible expectation that one could have anticipated.
Why do I question the rematch occurring so soon, particularly when I often advocate for fighters being active, which when it comes to fighters on the top level of the sport, regardless of weight class, usually means at most two fights per year, in this case, I feel that it is very unlikely that Fabio Wardley was able to recover from what happened five months ago, not just physically, but psychologically.
It goes without saying that a fighter will leave a piece of themselves in the ring each time they compete, win or lose. When a fighter suffers a knockout loss, however, something else tends to happen. In this case, Wardley not only suffered a horrible beating, but he lost his unbeaten record and along with it the aura of invincibility that theoretically follows fighters for a time, particularly those labeled “Knockout Artists.”
Only the rarest of rare exceptions after all, are able to go their entire careers without suffering a defeat and there are many fighters throughout the history of the sport who have shown the ability to bounce back after suffering a knockout loss, Daniel Dubois coincidentally being an example. I simply question whether it's too soon for this rematch to be happening based on what happened earlier this year and it's important to remember, Dubois also took his share of punishment throughout the fight as well.
This is also a rare case where I feel this rematch will likely follow a similar blueprint as the first fight, in that both fighters will come out looking to end the bout as quickly as possible and this will not be a tactical Boxing match, but rather an encounter between two heavy hitters that can end on one punch at any moment. Based on what happened earlier this year and the relatively quick turnaround of this rematch, it may also be unlikely that this gets anywhere near the full twelve round distance. I personally will not go out on a limb and say this will be a short fight, but I would not be surprised.
If one were to ask me as far as any potential adjustments that could be made, for the champion Dubois needs to be leery of getting caught early as what happened in the first encounter. If at all possible, he needs to be cautious in his approach early because Wardley will likely look to jump on him early, despite the perception of some that often fighters who suffer knockout losses are somewhat hesitant or “Gun-shy” to let their hands go either in their immediate return to action or in a rematch like this.
For Wardley, he needs to be more defensively responsible and must conserve his stamina. Though he was able to have periodic success after the ebb and flow had shifted to Dubois in the first fight, the combination of the punishment he had taken as well as fatigue resulted in his knocking himself off balance with wide looping punches that he threw. He needs to be in the best condition possible if he is to turn things around in fight two and potentially set up a trilogy.
This now brings us to the second world title bout that will take place on October 17th as WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Sebastian Fundora will defend his title for the fourth time against undefeated WBC number one Jr. Middleweight contender Ermal Hadribeaj at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. A fight that can also be seen worldwide on DAZN and will be available to both standard and Ultimate subscribers. In the United States, this bout will also be simulcast on general entertainment cable network TNT as the latest installment of “The Fight” series, which is a collaboration between the two networks. In his last title defense in March of this year, Fundora stopped former longtime Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman in six rounds in a one-sided contest.
Fundora’s dominance since becoming a world champion in 2024 is rooted in two aspects. One he is blessed with a significant height advantage over virtually any opponent he will face in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division standing nearly 6’6 with an eighty inch reach. Two, he is a skilled southpaw that likes to gradually walk his opponents down. The moniker “The Towering Inferno” is appropriate given where he sits on the weight scale.
There was one time, however, in his career where he did find himself on the end of a knockout loss at the hands of Brian Mendoza April 2023. A one punch knockout that seemingly came out of nowhere. Since that setback, Fundora has won five straight bouts, winning a world title and has looked like the dominant fighter he had been prior to that defeat to Mendoza. In this observer’s view, he has looked better than he was prior to that setback, has had more seasoning, and has matured into one of the dominant champions in the sport.
Fundora’s opponent on this occasion will come in the form of the unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj. Hadribeaj will enter this world championship opportunity with a record of 23-0-1, with 8 Knockouts. While he has held the WBC Silver championship in the Jr. Middleweight division, a title that is at times used to determine a number one contender, which he is, he up to this point has not faced fighters that some would view as household names. Despite being a mandatory challenger and unbeaten, the task for Hadribeaj, who stands 5’10 will be the same as virtually every Fundora opponent. To get inside the long arms of the champion and try to break down his natural advantages in order to give himself a chance. It is a task that for many has proven to be easier said than done against Fundora, who will enter with a record of 24-1-1, with 16 Knockouts.
Hadribeaj does not seem to be a fighter with the type of punching power that could turn this fight suddenly if needed, but he is undefeated and you simply cannot dismiss a fighter’s chances even though both odds and physics do not seem to be in the challenger’s favor here.
With the first half of October in the books, this observer looks forward to seeing what is in store for the second half and encourages readers to stay tuned for part two of this edition of Jabs & Observations, which will come during the first week of November.
“And That's The Boxing Truth.”
Dubois vs. Wardley 2 takes place on Saturday, October 17th at the O2 Arena in London, England and can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $59.99 or included with a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The card will begin at 11AM ET/8AM PT with free to watch preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.
Fundora vs. Hadribeaj takes place on Saturday, October 17th at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its undercard can be seen worldwide on DAZN and will be available to both standard and Ultimate tier subscribers beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.
(*North American Start Times Only.* *Cards and Start Times Subject to Change.*)
For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, to subscribe or to order Dubois-Wardley 2 separately, please visit: www.DAZN.com.
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