Referee Howard Foster stopped their brutal battle 28 seconds into the 11th round, with Wardley still standing, yet battered, bloodied and unable to defend himself. His impressive victory made Dubois, who was dropped during the first and third rounds, a two-time champion and the first fighter to defeat Wardley.

Those are the bullet points of a wild night, but don’t even begin to tell the tale of what happened during a sensational see-saw affair at a packed Co-op Live Arena.

Ranked at No. 5 by The Ring, London’s Dubois is blessed with every physical attribute a heavyweight could desire, but has had his mental toughness and resilience questioned time and time again. He will never again have to answer such questions.

Every true boxing fan can appreciate the nuance and finesse of a highly skilled chess match between ring technicians, but sometimes, even the most ardent connoisseur just wants to see a fight.

From the moment it was announced, the matchup between Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) and Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) looked like the most combustible bout the division could produce.

It didn’t disappoint. In fact, it exceeded expectations. At times it was almost too hard to watch.

Wardley’s remarkable rise from the nightclubs and working men’s clubs of the white-collar boxing scene has been characterized by his willingness to walk through the fire. The 31-year-old former champ from Ipswich once again dug deep into his reserves and wasn’t found wanting.

Wardley’s famous powers of recovery and king-sized heart didn’t fail him, neither did his chin. The Ring’s No. 1 heavyweight contender for Oleksandr Usyk simply ran into somebody who wanted victory just as much as he did and punched straighter and harder.

Within 10 seconds of the opening bell, the electric arena momentarily fell silent. A Wardley overhand right hand clipped Dubois high on the head and sent him down. Dubois sat on the canvas looking stunned as bedlam began to descend.

Rather than calmly looking for a finish, Wardley went for broke, but Dubois managed to survive

The looser of the two, Wardley moved around the ring while a tense Dubois tried to find his feet.

Slowly but surely, Dubois – who weighed in at a career heaviest 251 pounds – got his legs back and settled down. His jab and right hand began to look dangerous and drew blood from Wardley’s mouth in the second.

Just when it looked like he was settling into a rhythm, he took a knee after Wardley’s right landed to the side of his head in the third.

Again, Dubois regathered himself and kept his composure. He found a crunching right hand that got Wardley’s attention, but the champion calmly held and recovered.

Dubois’ straight punches were beginning to pay rich dividends. He dominated round five, scoring repeatedly with a heavy jab and landing a flush right hand that Wardley somehow shook off.

Another jab sent Wardley’s mouthpiece flying and, against all pre-fight expectations, Dubois seemed to have made it through the storm with his confidence intact.

Roared on by his father, Stan, Dubois went looking for a finish. Swollen around the left eye, his right closing quickly and its blood pouring from his nose, Wardley somehow absorbed a huge right uppercut and stayed standing. By then, Dubois was fighting a like a man who wouldn’t be denied.

The pattern continued in the seventh. Spitting blood and on the verge of a painful defeat, Wardley dug his toes into the canvas and launched a wild assault that put him on the verge of another stunning win. This time, Dubois stayed upright and made it to the end of a round that finished 10 seconds early.

Wardley’s rally was be a brief one. Exhausted, he was hurt by a Dubois right hand in the eighth and – for the first time – he seemed to sag mentally a little. A heavy jab sent him into the ropes.

Wardley survived a doctor’s inspection of his battered face and, against all reason, the fight entered round nine.

Still, Wardley refused to give in. A huge right hand bounced off Dubois’ head, but hopes of a trademark comeback win were quickly ended as Dubois trapped Wardley on the ropes and landed a volley of shots, any of which could have finished the fight.

Wardley’s refusal to stop was admirable, but it was also painful to watch.

After round 10, talk at ringside was that Wardley should be saved from his own bravery. Dubois took matters into his own hands and when a massive left hook sent Wardley’s head flying back, Foster finally stepped in.

Wardley’s chin and bravery will earn him plenty of deserved plaudits in defeat, but this was all about Dubois, who salvaged his career in spectacular fashion.