Fabio Wardley collapsed in delight after a messy and gruelling fight punctuated with the most thrilling of knockouts. It dispatched Joseph Parker in the 11th round to set up a meeting with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk. A fight that would never have been conceivable years ago after Wardley emerged from the white collar scene, only for Dillian Whyte to pluck him from obscurity.
The Ukrainian is the untouchable force presiding over the division, but beneath him, the landscape has grown confusing, with a litany of contenders and hopefuls. But the Ipswich man, now the WBO interim world heavyweight title, and still undefeated, defied the onslaught from a polished Parker to inflict a thudding stoppage just as the 12th round drew near.
This absorbing contest saw both fighters unload a barrage of shots at the faintest of openings. But it would be shortsighted to discard this heavyweight scrap as merely a brawl, with Parker’s skills long admired. But Wardley, too, showcased a new side. The jabs, from a low, languid stance, surprising the Kiwi with their trajectory, and the slashing shots to the body offered wrinkles to this violent chess match.
“We knew he was tough, I knew he was hurt, but he wouldn’t go early, we picked our spots and eventually got him out of there,” Wardley said. “I told everyone I wouldn’t lose today and I did what I said I’d do. It hasn’t sunk in yet, everyone talks about my story.
“Everyone said I wouldn’t go anywhere, I’d be still lost on small halls without Whyte, he picked me out of the rough and changed my life.”
In his way tonight was Parker, whose admirable recent run has seen him comprehensively pick apart Deontay Wilder, at a point when the American was still a terrifying prospect. But with Halloween approaching, Parker has thrived as the boogeyman of the division, collecting feared contenders, including the Belligerent Zhilei Zhang, who was dispatched over 12 intense rounds. Martin Bakole, on just two days’ notice, as a replacement for Daniel Dubois, was then ruthlessly discarded, showcasing a menacing side to the New Zealander’s renowned skills.
Wardley’s popularity has grown through his simple approach: see target, hit target. A rugged style, stemming from his amateur fighting background, that epitomises the essence of heavyweight boxing. The Briton had a frustrating and, at times, demoralising night at the hands of Justis Huni in June as the Ipswich man’s world title dreams started to fade at the hands of the classy Australian. But Huni’s momentary lapse in concentration and one exhilarating swipe from Wardley scrambled his foe’s senses to flip the contest to soar into world title contention.
A pivotal fight to the heavyweight landscape, there was heavyweight royalty surrounding this ring in East London. Tyson Fury, who rejected the prospect of a return to boxing from retirement this week, even for £1bn, watched on with intrigue, his white suit with roses and splashes of blood perhaps an ominous glimpse at the action to come. Two more heavyweights, with an active role in the future of both fighters in the main event, also gathered, with former world champion Daniel Dubois well placed for a February return, the Independent has been told, while Lawrence Okolie, ranked fourth in the WBO, could also emerge as the next challenger.
Wardley had to absorb piston-like jabs from the first round, with an explosion towards the end of the opener, leaving the Briton desperately clinging on.
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Through the third and fourth rounds, sweat started to spray from both gloves and heads as the toll of the contest started to emerge. A weary look from Parker at the end of the sixth hinted at both respect and surprise at the fierce challenge posed by Wardley, and maybe shock at how he was still standing. The uppercut, also part of this more rounded Wardley, returned to fend off Parker’s arsenal and signal the beginning of the upset.
The classic, looping shot from Wardley cracked an exhausted Parker in the 11th and the original version, a whirlwind of a heavyweight, overwhelmed Parker with a relentless series of hooks before referee Howard Foster stepped in to the delight of the O2 crowd, sparking a chaotic celebration from Wardley’s corner, who bundled on top of their man.
For Wardley there is now a once inconceivable prospect as a rough and rugged prospect, scratching and clawing for an opportunity as a white collar fighter. The stark contrast between himself and former Olympian and two-weight undisputed champion Usyk, who has left even the esteemed Fury and Joshua memerised by his skills. But the allure of the heavyweight division endures, despite Usyk’s dominance in recent years. Every reign must end and Wardley now has a precious place at the front of the queue. “Usyk,” Wardley howled after standing tall once more after his tumble in victory. Doubted throughout his career, it’s just the way he likes it.
