Instead, he suffered the most devastating defeat of his professional career.

Five months after losing his WBO heavyweight title to Daniel Dubois in a dramatic 11-round war, Wardley entered Saturday night's rematch believing he could reverse the result.

He never came close.

Dubois overwhelmed Wardley from the opening bell at London's O2 Arena, dropping him within 17 seconds with a massive chin-check and eventually forcing his corner to throw in the towel in the second round.

Their first encounter in May had been a memorable battle. In a role reversal, Wardley dropped Dubois within seconds of the opening round and scored a second knockdown in the third. He appeared capable of retaining his championship before the fight dramatically turned against him. Dubois survived, recovered and eventually stopped him in the 11th.

There was enough success in that performance to convince Wardley that a rematch was worth pursuing. He exercised his contractual option for an immediate rematch, but Saturday's result was far more decisive.

Wardley was unable to establish his offense, couldn't discourage Dubois from coming forward and never recovered from the damage he absorbed in the opening round.

By the time his corner intervened, the outcome was inevitable. Wardley dropped to 20-2-1, with both defeats coming against the same opponent. Where does he go from here?

The temptation might be to pursue another major fight immediately. Wardley is still a recognizable name in British boxing, remains an entertaining fighter and has enough accomplishments to attract significant options.

But that doesn't necessarily mean another major fight should be his next move.

In fact, the smartest decision would be to take some time away, recover physically and mentally and return against an opponent who allows him to rebuild his confidence.

Wardley is 31 years old. He is not approaching the end of his career, and two defeats against a dangerous world champion shouldn't erase everything he accomplished on the way to winning a heavyweight title.

His rise through the professional ranks was unconventional.

Unlike many of his rivals, Wardley didn't benefit from an extensive amateur background. He learned much of his trade as a professional, overcoming technical limitations with athleticism, determination and legitimate punching power.

That approach carried him considerably further than many expected, including dramatic knockout wins over betting favorites Frazier Clarke and Joseph Parker. But the losses to Dubois have also exposed areas that need attention.

Wardley has shown that he can hurt world-class heavyweights. What he hasn't consistently demonstrated is the defensive discipline needed to survive when those same opponents begin landing their best punches. Against Dubois, that weakness proved costly.

So who makes sense for him to face in the immediate future? Jermaine Franklin would be a reasonable option. Franklin is durable, experienced and has shared the ring with Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He would give Wardley rounds, test his conditioning and force him to work for a victory. It wouldn't be an easy assignment, but it would be a considerably more sensible comeback fight than another immediate encounter with an elite puncher.

Another possibility is Otto Wallin. The Swedish heavyweight has experience against some of the division's biggest names and would provide Wardley with a different type of challenge.

Wallin's southpaw stance, movement and technical approach would force Wardley to concentrate on his boxing rather than relying exclusively on his power. That could be valuable at this stage of his career.

A domestic fight with Derek Chisora, should the veteran decide to continue boxing, would undoubtedly attract attention in the United Kingdom. The two have already exchanged words in the last few days — after Chisora advised Wardley to retire from the sport. Chisora is still a recognizable attraction and built a career around entertaining, physical battles.

But that is precisely why Wardley should think carefully before pursuing such a matchup. After two stoppage defeats, another punishing heavyweight war might provide entertainment without doing much to address the issues that have emerged in his recent performances.

There is also the possibility of eventually facing another British contender such as Moses Itauma. That would be an intriguing matchup between two fighters attempting to rebuild following significant defeats. However, it would be a dangerous assignment for both, and certainly not one Wardley needs immediately.

Wardley needs to determine whether changes are necessary in his preparation, defensive approach and overall development. His power isn't the problem, and neither is his willingness to fight. Those qualities have already taken him to a world championship. What he needs now is to become a more complete heavyweight.

That means improving his ability to control distance, avoiding unnecessary exchanges and learning when to reset rather than responding to every punch with another punch. Without adustments, his path back to the top becomes considerably more difficult.

The heavyweight division has a long history of fighters who suffered devastating defeats and eventually returned to championship contention. Dubois himself is a perfect example, acknowledged by Wardley when discussing how his rival had recovered from setbacks.

He was stopped by Joe Joyce, later lost to Oleksandr Usyk and still managed to rebuild his career and capture another world championship. Wardley doesn't need to look very far to find evidence that a serious setback doesn't have to be permanent. What Wardley needs now is patience.

He has already proven that he belongs among the better heavyweights in the world. Now he needs to demonstrate that he can learn from defeat. The worst thing he could do is rush into another dangerous fight simply to prove that he's willing to face anybody.

There is no reason to pursue another world title immediately, and certainly no reason to consider a third meeting with Dubois. Wardley has already accomplished more than many believed possible when he first turned pro.

Saturday's defeat doesn't have to define the remainder of his career. But the decisions he makes over the next 12 months could go a long way toward determining whether he ever becomes a world champion again.