FILIP HRGOVIC has called for Fabio Wardley to RETIRE after his rematch defeat to Daniel Dubois.
Wardley dropped Dubois twice in their May original before losing in round 11 to surrender the WBO belt.
And just five short months later, the two prepared to do it all over again at London’s O2 Arena.
This time it was Dubois, 29, who had Wardley, 31, down in the opening seconds of the first round.
And by the second, he gave Wardley’s corner and the referee no choice but to intervene and stop the contest.
Hrgovic – who stunned Moses Itauma in the very same ring in August – urged the Ipswich icon to call it a day after two punishing losses.
He told SunSport: “I didn’t expect this to be so easy.
“I thought Dubois will win, I said that, that he’s better fighter, but something wasn’t right with Wardley from beginning.
“He was hurt from the first fight. It was too soon for him to fight and he just didn’t look good. He should retire, man.”
Hrgovic, 34, overcame eight rounds of relentless pressure from Itauma, 21, before stopping the British prodigy to win the IBF title.
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And after derailing the Itauma hype train – Hrgovic says a rematch with Dubois is an easier night’s work.
He said: “After Moses, he’s like slow motion. He’s southpaw, he’s quick, and Daniel has a good jab. That’s his best weapon. Good jab, and that’s it.
“If you get away from his jab, you did 99 per cent of the job.”
Dubois stopped Hrgovic in eight rounds in 2024 but the Croatian claimed he was suffering from illness in the build- up.
The two faced off in the ring following Dubois’ demolition of Wardley – with a title unification on the cards next year.
Hrgovic said: “He’s weak on the body. But in my first fight, I was so stupid. I was sick, I was injured, I was all over the place. I underestimated him.
“And I didn’t block his jab. I didn’t move my head. I just wanted to take his head off, and I did s*** fight, man, and I lost.”
