Some are already thinking ahead to a Naoya Inoue vs Bam Rodriguez Super-Fight, but Junto Nakatani pushed The Monster in a high quality contest and there will be plenty of voices calling for a rematch.
It is a situation where the loser has actually raised his profile further and both fighters can either look forward to seeing each other again before the end of the year or earning a big purse in another fight before turning back to each other in the first half of 2027.
Many hours later, David Benavidez impressed in crushing Gilberto Ramirez to win yet another World Title in yet another Division.
The Mexican Monster has long called for a bout against Canelo Alvarez, but that ship looks to have sailed and instead the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia look like the kind of names that could be tempted into a mega-fight.
David Benavidez is likely going to have his pick of opponents, although those suggesting he should move to Heavyweight and challenge Oleksandr Usky may be pushing him too far ahead (in terms of weight, not of the obvious qualities that Benavidez possesses).
May continues with a huge fight in the Heavyweight Division- it may not make the noise around the world as it will in the United Kingdom, but the winner of the Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois main event will be a World Champion and in a position to Unify if the World Titles continue to fracture away from Oleksandr Usyk.
Queensberry Promotions have put together a solid undercard in support of the top of the bill in Manchester and it is likely going to be a really good night for those in attendance.
Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois
One is a former World Champion and the other is going to be brining the WBO World Title into the ring, but, along with Ken Norton, is the only Title Holder in this Division who has never won a World Title fight.
Fabio Wardley is the Champion after being upgraded to full Title Holder after Oleksandr Usyk failed to fulfil his mandatory, but he would have much preferred to have had that WBO World Title on the line when he was beating Joseph Parker.
The background story is fascinating and Wardley has already overachieved, but he will take some big confidence from the way he has continued to step up.
Opening up his career with a Points win, Fabio Wardley has Stopped the next 19 opponents faced with the only blemish being the Draw with Frazer Clarke, which was wiped out impressively in the rematch. Following up with wins over Justis Huni and Joseph Parker has only continued the surge, but this is another step up in class.
Daniel Dubois is another big puncher and his three losses have been against Joe Joyce and Oleksander Usyk (twice).
Some will have questioned the manner of the first two of those losses, but the Fifth Round Stoppage against Usyk last year was emphatic and ended a strong run of form that Daniel Dubois had put together.
There was nothing wrong with his character and heart in beating Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, but questions remain and this is a bout where both fighters will have to dig deep.
In reality we have seen Fabio Wardley dig and scrap even when fights have been turning against him and he carries his power very late.
That makes him dangerous, although he cannot afford to be tagged with some of the shots that have been allowed against the likes of Huni and Parker who simply do not hit as hard as Daniel Dubois.
Fabio Wardley's power is clear to see, although it does feel like Dubois' ability to take some shots is a little underrated- he's not granite, but the idea that Wardley could walk through fire all of the time has been proven to be a fallacy, which Joe Joyce found out to his cost.
It is a Heavyweight World Title fight that excited me as soon as it was announced and it would be stunning if there were not the fireworks that will be expected.
You can imagine both fighters being a little cautious of the power the other brings into the ring, but the first big contact could see things open up dramatically.
The Champion deserves nothing but respect for how far he has pushed his career, but Daniel Dubois has long felt like a fighter just below the very elite in the Heavyweight Division.
Fans of Daniel Dubois will want to see him make an early dent in Fabio Wardley, if only to build confidence within the ring when Dubois becomes his most dangerous.
I just can't shake the kind of shots Wardley has taken from lesser punchers than Daniel Dubois and for a fighter learning on the job, that is unlikely to be much different in this one.
Maybe he does have a really special chin, but Daniel Dubois has shown he can be a clinical finisher when he has his man in trouble and the feeling is that the former Champion can win a firefight that should entertain all who tune in.
There is a deep undercard that has been put together by Queensberry and some of those names are in a position to move onto really big nights if they can win, and win impressively.
Bakhodir Jalolov has long been touted as a potential World Champion in the Heavyweight Division and some even think he could soon be an opponent for Moses Itauma.
There is some uncertainty as to how long this fight is scheduled for, but Jalolov has been put in a showcase spot and should win early.
Fighters like David Morrell and Jack Rafferty are expected to win, but the opponents will give them something to think about.
Out of the two, Morrell should showcase his experience in fighting at a much higher level than Zak Chelli and he may be able to end the contest by breaking down the British fighter.
Jack Rafferty is in for a tough introduction to this weight class against Ekow Essuman and that looks like a potential upset with the ability of the latter to outwork opponents. Dropping back down to a domestic level should help The Engine and he may yet have another big night in the locker.
MY PICKS: Daniel Dubois to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Bakhodir Jalolov to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
David Morrell to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Boxing 2026: 13-27, - 13.42 Units (59 Units Staked, - 23.25% Yield)
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