Fabio Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) summed up perfectly how he got his victory over Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 KOs) last Saturday by him only needing to be “perfect for that one moment” to score an 11th-round TKO at the O2 Arena in London.
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
After the fight, Wardley made it clear that he doesn’t need to put together the “perfect” fight for 12 rounds. All he needs is that one moment to get the knockout, and he makes up for giving away the other rounds.
The One-Shot King Speaks
The one-shot King Wardley pointed out that he’s an “avoided fighter” in the division, and the reason for that is his punching power. Also, his willingness to walk through fire to get the win. That separates him from the other heavyweights in the division, who aren’t willing to deal with the pain that comes from applying pressure.
Avoided for a Reason
“I am the avoided fighter in the heavyweight picture, and I back myself against any fighter out there. I don’t need to be perfect for 12 rounds, I just need to be perfect for that one moment,” said Wardley.
Fabio’s win over WBO interim heavyweight champion Parker locked him in as the mandatory to undisputed champion Usyk. Wardley’s promoter, Frank Warren, said after the fight that Usyk will have to face him next.
If he chooses not to, he’ll be stripped of the WBO title, and Wardley will be elevated to the new champion. The WBO has already ordered Usyk to defend against their mandatory next. So that leaves him with no choice.
White-Collar to World Stage
“Have you ever seen something like this? Fabio Wardley’s got no experience, a white collar fighter who is now going to fight for the undisputed title?” said promoter Frank Warren to BoxNation, reflecting on Fabio Wardley’s win over Joseph Parker.
It’s a rarity for a fighter who worked in the business sector to take up boxing at 20, and work his way to the brink of a world title shot without any amateur experience.
“If you bought that fight, how could you not be entertained? There’s always someone who’s going to moan. You don’t like it, don’t buy it. No one forces you to buy it,” said Warren about the fans who complained about the undercard for Parker vs. Wardley.
Fans Split on the Undercard
Many boxing fans complained about the undercard last Saturday. They felt that it lacked any notable fights to justify the pay-per-view price on DAZN. If Warren had placed one good fight involving notable fighters in the co-feature spot, fans wouldn’t have complained so much.
“Oleksandr, I got the most respect for you. Let’s hurry up and get this fight on. Everyone wants to see it,” said Warren about his message to Usyk about wanting to put together the fight between him and Wardley next.
Last Updated on 10/27/2025
Read the full article here