What's our No.1 heavyweight rematch? Ranked before Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley II

Will Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley II become the next rematch classic? Getty

Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley meet on Saturday in a world heavyweight title rematch with the WBO belt at stake.

Boxing has a rich history of rematches with the world heavyweight championship on the line and, after Dubois battered Wardley in a thrilling first fight earlier this year, their second encounter is must-watch.

Here, ESPN have ranked our favourite heavyweight title rematches in order of sheer intrigue and excitement...


10. Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua II

An upset akin to Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson and Hasim Rahman stopping Lennox Lewis, Andy Ruiz won the golden ticket when he stopped Anthony Joshua in 2019.

The rematch was huge for Joshua. He had been well beaten by a fearless Ruiz who used his power and hand speed to stop the Brit at Madison Square Garden. However, Ruiz turned up out of shape and was completely outboxed by Joshua, who took back his three heavyweight titles with ease.

It always felt like a mental fight more than anything for Joshua, who jabbed his way to victory with smart boxing. Ruiz may live to regret over-celebrating in the months after his famous win. Who knows what would have happened if he had been fit and landed on Joshua again? - James Regan.


9. Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury II

The fight that cemented Usyk's position as the best heavyweight of his generation. While the rematch with Fury wasn't as big as their first meeting but was certainly no less impressive from the Ukrainian's point of view. Fury had some early success in their first fight before Usyk pulled away late on.

The rematch was much more measured from both fighters and Usyk appeared in control once the fight settled after a couple of rounds. His movement was exceptional as Fury struggled to pin him down, but Usyk couldn't hurt the Brit like he did in their first meeting. Fury said in the aftermath he thought he'd won "by at least three rounds" but the general consensus was a special victory for Usyk, who won 116-112 on all three cards - Regan.


8. Hasim Rahman vs. Lennox Lewis II

Hasim Rahman became an instant superstar with one clean, powerful right hand that produced one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, knocking out 20-1 favourite and unified heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in April 2001. Lewis had arrived in South Africa at short notice after taking part in the 'Ocean's Eleven' movie. After his victory, Rahman signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Don King and following a court battle, was forced to rematch Lewis in November the same year.

The Brit would not make the same mistake twice. A laser focused Lewis flicked the jab to take control of the bout with Rahman unable to get close. A big Lewis right hand in Round 1 fired a warning with Rahman also cut in the opening three minutes. After a measured start, Lewis opened up more in Round 3 and exacted his revenge in Round 4, landing a sweet left-right to re-claim his titles - Regan.


7. Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling II

When it comes to heavyweight title rematches, none was bigger than this, with pre-fight hype dominated by propaganda surrounding the imminent Second World War.

Joe Louis subjected Max Schmeling to 124 seconds of torture in front of 70,043 at Yankee Stadium as he defended his world heavyweight title and got revenge for losing to the German two years earlier. Schmeling, who had knocked out Louis in the 12th round in 1936, was floored three times in the brief rematch.

The fight gripped the world's attention with Louis representing the American Dream while Schmeling was an unwilling tool of the Nazi propaganda machine one year before the start of the Second World War - Nick Parkinson.


6. Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe II

Evander Holyfield triumphed in a dramatic rematch in 1993 -- but the fight is best remembered for a hang-glider crashing into the ring during the fight.

Their rematch was halted for 22 minutes after James Miller landed in the ring at Caesars Palace during Round 7. Holyfield went on to win by a majority decision, avenging a points loss to Riddick Bowe the previous year, and win the WBA and IBF belts. The decision split opinions with many of the rounds close - Parkinson.


5. Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II

In their first encounter, Deontay Wilder clung on to his WBC world heavyweight title via a draw after Tyson Fury, having outboxed the American for a large part of the fight, was laid out flat on his back in the last round by a right hand and left hook.

Fury, who was also floored in the ninth round, only just beat the count and went into the rematch as underdog against the biggest puncher in boxing.

But Fury reinvented himself for the rematch: Instead of boxing behind his long jab on the backfoot like he usually does, he went for Wilder on the front foot with power punches and outlanded the American. Fury dropped Wilder in Round 3 with a right hand before sending the American down again in Round 5 with a left to the body, before forcing a Round 7 stoppage when Wilder's corner threw in the towel to save the wobbly champion from more punishment.

Victory for Fury ended Wilder's reign in an eighth title defence and earned him the WBC belt. After becoming a two-time world champion, the Briton led the crowd in a singalong of 'American Pie' - Parkinson.


4. Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III

The fight no one wanted, but everyone was glad they got. Fury was finally on track to fight compatriot Anthony Joshua in 2021 before the WBC intervened, ordering Fury to fight Wilder for a third time.

In their final dance, the pair capped off what is one of the most iconic heavyweight trilogies in history and the finale was one of the great modern battles.

Wilder started by boxing behind his jab and looked strong and confident until a right hand followed by an uppercut from Fury dropped him in Round 3. From then, all bets were off. Wilder recovered to sensationally drop Fury twice in Round 4 and then it was Wilder who looked headed for victory.

But Fury showed his incredible powers of recovery, dropping Wilder in Round 10 before finishing with some bruising combinations in Round 11 to beat the American by stoppage. It's a fight you can watch over-and-over and never get bored. There's an argument that they haven't been the same since, but Fury-Wilder III will go down as a legendary battle - Regan.


3. Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II

For many it's only after the two fights against Fury that Usyk's true ability has been given the recognition it deserves, but the two fights against Joshua were his coming out party.

The Ukrainian produced a near-complete performance in their first fight in September 2021, which led to Joshua parting ways with coach Rob McCracken.

Joshua improved significantly in the Jeddah rematch, winning the fight 115-113 on one scorecard but went down 115-113 and 116-112 on the other two.

Joshua had success late in the fight as he targeted Usyk's body, but the smart southpaw survived an onslaught in Round 9 to see out the victory.

It was an emotional night for the usually composed Brit with a post-fight rant that included him throwing the heavyweight belts out of the ring, while he also broke down in tears at the post-fight news conference. It showed a more human side to the typically guarded Brit and there's no doubt as with the Ruiz fight, it was another sliding-doors moment for Joshua.

Had he won, the path to Tyson Fury may have been clearer. Instead, he faced a longer road back to the top and is still looking to re-claim a heavyweight belt - Regan.


2. Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II

Mike Tyson and Holyfield's rematch became known as 'The Bite' after Tyson was disqualified in the third round for twice chomping the champion's ears. Holyfield, who stopped Tyson in the 11th round of their first fight, was left with a chunk missing from his ear.

Tyson, 31, started the betting favourite but quickly unravelled after feeling enraged by what he felt was Holyfield's deliberate headbutts in the second round. Referee Mills Lane considered it a clash of heads that caused the cut above Tyson's right eye.

In the third round Tyson sank his teeth into the top of Holyfield's right ear and then spat a piece of his opponent's ear onto the canvas. Holyfield fought on after a four-minute delay with blood streaming from his chewed ear. Lane deducted two points from Tyson but that did not deter him from biting Holyfield's left ear before the end of the third round. At the end of the third, Lane disqualified Tyson - Parkinson.


1. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III

Muhammad Ali held on to his WBA and WBC world titles when rival Joe Frazer was pulled out at the end of the penultimate round of Thrilla in Manila, one of the most gruelling battles in fight history and the third Ali-Frazier clash. Both had points wins over each other and Ali went into the third fight as champion after stopping George Foreman in 'The Rumble in the Jungle.'

Frazier had Ali under pressure in Round 6 and some of the earlier rounds, but in the 11th Ali took control with some right hands. With both men nearing exhaustion, Ali let fly with a volley of punches in the 14th round. Frazier could hardly see out of swollen eyes when he was pulled at the end of the 14th round by trainer Eddie Futch.

"Joe, nobody will ever forget what you did here tonight," Futch told Frazier. Ali was struggling himself and later said he felt it was "the closest thing to dying" he had experienced in the brutal fight - Parkinson.