Fabio Wardley Delivers Dramatic Win For Hometown Fans

From start to finish, heavyweights Fabio Wardley of Ipswich and Justis Huni of Brisbane, Australia unleashed their offense, punching like welterweights in a thrilling fight Saturday at Portman Stadium on a rainy day in Ipswich, England.

The homecoming fight was something Wardley had long dreamed about. For the first nine rounds, it seemed it would be a nightmare as Huni was well ahead on the scorecards halfway through the fight.

Justis Huni could not beat the count of the referee after the tenth-round knockdown. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry.

But in the heavyweight division, a single punch can change things in an instant. Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs) landed a perfectly placed right to the cheek of Huni (7-1, 4 KOs), dropping the Australian to the canvas, unable to beat the referee’s count for a sensational knockout win by Wardley at 1:47 of round ten.

Thrilling End for Ipswich Fans

The crowd of 20,000 people at Portman Road Stadium in Ipswich, including rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma, rose to their feet with a roar, led by Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions. Warren was seeing the fight slip away, sitting next to his rival Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, as both were shouting encouragement to their fighters.

Wardley’s first words after winning were words of gratitude to the fans.

“A huge thank you to everyone in this building tonight. I’ve been on this weird and wonderful journey that is boxing. I wouldn’t be anywhere without everyone in this arena right here. Everyone who bought a ticket, thank you. It’s not just for me.”

Huni Checks Off Rounds Against Wardley

Justis Huni won round after round with sensational power punching. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry.

Wardley was originally scheduled to face American Jarrell Miller, who withdrew a month prior due to injury. Huni agreed to take the fight on short notice, betting on himself. For most of the fight, it seemed his gamble would pay off. After a strong opening round for Wardley, Huni took over the fight, not holding back. He fired off power punches to the head, catching Wardley more often than not.

Many of the shots would have dropped other fighters. Wardley’s solid chin, the same one that saw him survive a war with Frazer Clarke, served him well.

From that point, it was a heavyweight firefight. Both men threw punches as if they were welterweights. Huni had the edge in handspeed, much like the best of Andy Ruiz Jr. It was giving him the rounds. Wardley and his team including trainers Robert Hodgson and Ben Davison surely knew he was behind.

Wardley kept himself in the fight, and when his opportunity finally came in round ten, he seized it for a spectacular victory. It comes just one week before he is to become a father to a new baby daughter, due soon.

Fabio Wardley: ‘I Find A Way To Win’

Fabio Wardley kept himself in the fight despite falling behind against Justis Huni and never gave up. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry.

“I don’t profess to be any kind of Usyk, Justis Huni, someone with all the skills,” said Wardley. “But one thing I do know how to do is win fights. Dig deep, find a bit of heart, bite down on that gumshield, and find a way to win. That’s one thing I had to do tonight.”

Many people felt it was a mistake to take on Huni. Wardley gave his opponent all the credit in the world.

“He’s a great boxer, he has some great skills, and he showed me everything he had tonight. He pulled out all sorts of different tricks,” said Wardley. “I really didn’t expect him to bank rounds like that. I had him hurt in the first round, so maybe that gave me too much confidence. We re-jigged, got my head screwed back on and stuck to the game plan.”

Justis Huni: ‘It Only Takes One Split Second’

Justis Huni made a positive impression despite the loss to Fabio Wardley. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry.

Huni received a warm round of applause from the appreciative fans. With a rueful smile, he said, “That’s my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one split second to switch off. It happened tonight. Credit to Fabio and his team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come here to Ipswich and perform in front of you. He’s a real champion.. Get behind him, he’s doing good things.”

Even in the loss, Huni showed his quality skills, and the Australian made himself better known in front of a massive UK audience. He is still young in the heavyweight division and will be part of the next generation after he regroups and returns.

“Eat your heart out, what’s his name, the American, the big puncher, Deontay Wilder. That was a Deontay Wilder moment!” crowed Wardley’s promoter Warren.

“The crowd was amazing, they lifted him, they lifted their hero. Ipswich, you done him proud. And he done Ipswich proud. Now, he will get a shot at a full title.”

What’s Next For Fabio Wardley

Fabio Wardley now becomes the WBA heavyweight mandatory challenger. Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry.

With the win, Fabio Wardley wins the WBA Interim Heavyweight title. It makes him the mandatory challenger for the man holding the full title. Currently, it is Oleksandr Usyk. After Usyk and Daniel Dubois have their unification fight on July 19, the winner must start facing the mandatory challengers or relinquish the belts.

“After that fight, it will actually settle the heavyweight division down to know who’s holding the four belts. Then they’ll make their mandatories. The first is the WBO, but (Wardley) is there for it. He’ll take a bit of time out now. Let the dust settle. The most important thing is he’s in position and he did it with sheer grit, sheer heart. It’s amazing what he did.”

In the co-main event, super lightweights Pierce O’Leary of Dublin (12-1, 7 KOs) took command and dominated Liam Dillon of Chingford, England (13-1-1, 3 KOs), winning the European and WBC International titles by decision. Dillon acquitted himself well, but he had come up two weight division for the opportunity, and O’Leary was just a bit much for Dillon.