The fight against Aleksandar Usyk seems like torture. But Fabio Wardley wants to experience it for himself.
Ipswich’s Wardley claimed victory against Joseph Parker on Saturday at the O2 Arena.
It was a demonstration of Wardley’s uncanny ability to fight his way through hell and still win, a trait that could serve him well against Usyk.
Now, having captured Parker’s interim WBO title, Wardley is the next mandatory challenger to the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Usyk could retire the WBO title if he wants to pursue other options, but to retain all four major heavyweight championships he would have to fight Wardley.
Wardley forced an 11th round finish with Parker
“It’s very simple. I hope he’s a man of his word and it works out and we get the fight. I know it was ordered by the WBO and I know he, or at least his team, came out recently to say, look, they’ve been keeping an eye on the fight and they were happy to be able to fight the winner,” Wardley said. Ski Sports News.
“I believe he’s also a man of his word. So, in 2026, we’re hoping to see Usyk. That would be huge.”
Promoter Frank Warren expects Wardley to win that fight with Usik. “I think it will be some time in March. I would like it to be in the UK and there are only two places for it and where it can happen. It will be in Riyadh or here,” Wardley said.
“It’s going to sell out Wembley. You know what you’re getting with Usyk and you know what you’re getting with Fabio. It’s going to be exciting. This guy has got to be one of the most exciting fighters in the world.”
Winning the fight against Usik is one thing, but beating him is quite another. Tyson Fury tried twice and failed. Anthony Joshua tried twice and failed. So was Daniel Dubois, who was stopped on both attempts.
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Usik is an unusual fighter. He has an indomitable will to win. An elite skill set, which saw him win the London 2012 Olympics, brilliant boxing IQ, movement and footwork, and the ability to set a huge pace from the first round to the last.
He even showed a penchant for injuring top heavyweights. He flattened Daniel Dubois in their rematch at Wembley Stadium and badly shook Tyson Fury in their first fight.
Wardley will be a more significant underdog than the other British heavyweights. Fury and Joshua were two-time heavyweight champions before fighting Usyk, and Dubois also managed to win the IBF title and knock out Joshua before the rematch with the Ukrainian.
Usyk went through all that to prove that he is the best heavyweight of his generation, never lost a professional match, undisputed in the heavyweight division (twice) as well as in the cruiserweight division.
Wardley doesn’t have those credentials. He never even boxed as an amateur, and turned pro after only a few white-collar fights.
But Wardley has something about him. Incredible toughness and punching power that brought him victory when all seemed lost. Perhaps even his determination to win – given the punishment he endured and won – was, to coin a phrase, Usikesque.
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Watch highlights from Alexander Usyk’s spectacular knockout victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium
“You can’t underestimate how good of a boxer he is and what a talent he is, but at the end of the day I’m confident. I don’t care who he is,” Wardley said.
“Basically, he’s just a man across the ring with two hands just like me.”
“So any man that gets in that ring with me, I can beat.”
Wardley showed, even when it looked like he was overwhelmed, he didn’t give up.
“I guess the mentality is, look, if I’m still in the ring, if my feet are still on the ground, I’ve still got some breath in my lungs, I’m still in the fight,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s the first round, the 12th round, whatever.
“The fight lasts as long as it lasts and if I’m here, I’m still working to win.”
“Just resilience. I don’t want to lose, I refuse. And if I ever do lose, it will be well earned by whoever makes it.”
“It’s not going to be an easy task for anyone, I don’t care who they are.”
Wardley is targeting Usyk and the undisputed world championship
Frank Warren cautions never to write Wardley off completely. “He’s devastating,” the promoter said. “Of course Usyk is going to come in and he’s going to be a big favorite. I understand that, but I tell you what, if he (Wardley) catches him with one, he’s going to have to have an exceptional chin.”
“What I’m happy about is his journey. If the fight comes, and I believe he will, he will fight for four belts. What a fairy tale,” Warren added. “It’s an achievement, just to get to that level and power.”
“I’ve been in this business for a long, long time and to see someone with no amateur experience, it was his 21st fight, he’s learning on the job and come on, it’s incredible.”