Fabio Wardley Wipes Out Joe Parker. Bring on Usyk

Eight years ago, Fabio Wardley was nothing more than a white collar boxer after washing out as a soccer player. Now, he will have the opportunity to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world as the interim WBO World Heavyweight champion.

Once again, veteran Joseph Parker will be denied that opportunity.

Wardley of Ipswitch, Suffolk (20-0-1, 19 KOs) stopped Parker of New Zealand (36-4, 24 KOs) after eleven electric rounds of boxing, stunning Parker and swarming him with power shots until referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop it at 1:54 of round 11.

The fight was the most action-packed heavyweight contest since Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s third fight in their trilogy four years ago on October 9, 2021, the Fight of the Year for 2021. Parker vs Wardley now enters the shortlist of 2025 Fight of the Year candidates.

Wardley got the victory with the world’s heavyweight royalty watching ringside. Dubois, Itauma, Kabayel, Whyte, Chisora, Fury, Bakole, Okolie, Joyce, Adelye, and even Jarrell Miller were all sitting ringside to watch the action.

It’s a shame most American boxing fans missed seeing it live due to competition from college football and the PPV price tag. Once you’ve read our recap, do yourself a favor and watch the highlights and catch the entire fight as soon as it shows up online.

Parker vs Wardley Fight Highlights

Fabio Wardley Erases The Scorecards In Round 11

The fight delivered pure heavyweight power punching action for eleven solid rounds. Joseph Parker moved forward at the opening bell, wasting no time going at Fabio Wardley. The game plan appeared to target Wardley’s inexperience and overwhelm him early. Parker has the power to make it stick.

But it nearly blew up in Parker’s face in the second round. Wardley’s minimal defensive skills encouraged Parker on. Wardley caught Parker and hurt him midway through the round, forcing Parker in the corner and unloading. Parker showed a great chin and a veteran’s wiles, spitting out his mouthpiece to buy time and survive.

Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, was furious. After the fight, he said, “I thought the situation the (second) round was an absolute shambles, with the gum shield, to be honest with you … There was no lull in the action. Fabio was trying to get rid of him.

“It was ideal for the fans, because they got another nine rounds of quality action,” said Davison, and he’s right. The fight was an edge-of-your-seat experience, leaving anyone watching it live feeling like a wet rag while still exhilarated.

Granite Chins Take Both Men Deep

Fabio Wardley’s impressive chin and fortitude kept him in the fight with Joseph Parker. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberr

Credit both men with chins of granite. Both took power punches from right and left hooks, and both walked through the majority of them. Wardley drilled Parker with a right hook from hell in round three. Parker acted as if he hadn’t felt it.

Wardley said he was never hurt in the fight, but admitted he made mistakes and got tagged. “I was just sloppy. I got caught my feet in silly positions. I got caught off center, committing too much to a shot and taking the return. But I wasn’t ever hurt. I wasn’t ever buzzed. I wasn’t ever rocked. I said it time and time again. I’m not the most clean, perfect amateur with all the fleetly footwork, but look, I get the job done.”

Through the middle rounds, Parker picked his punches better, which suits him as the more accurate puncher. Parker’s most vicious punch came in round 10, a left hook from an uppercut angle. When he saw Wardley stunned, he moved in, swarming the British fighter. Wardley used his offense as his defense, and it got him out of the round.

Wardley’s learning curve has been steep. But he showed not the slightest bit of concern or intimidation from the former world champion. His self-belief in his training and skills saw him through the fight.

“Look, what I lack in experience. I make up for in chin, heart, determination, will,” said Wardley. “I told everyone before we started, I ain’t losing today. This belt will be mine. I was going to take it. I did everything. I said I’d do.”

Stopped Too Soon?

Fabio Wardley had Joseph Parker bloodied and in deep trouble in round 11 when the fight was stopped. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry

The eleventh and final round was not all that different from the prior two rounds. Wardley buzzed Parker midway through the round, and unloaded with everything he had with Parker pushed into the corner. Parker didn’t seem out on his feet, but he was not able to engage with Wardley like he had in prior rounds.

The stoppage by Howard Foster appeared a tad early to observers, but with Parker taking so much heat, trust the man closest to the action.

“All credit to Joseph Parker, that man can’t get enough respect from me,” said Wardley. “He deserves the world of respect from the boxing community. He took a chance when he didn’t have to against a risky fighter like myself.

“But we knew he was tough, he was stubborn. He weren’t going to go nowhere quickly. So, I knew when I had him hurt, I had to take my time a bit, and look, he may go down, may not get hurt, but I knew he wasn’t going to go the first time asking. We knew we had to work on it, pick our spots, pick up places, and eventually get him out of there,” explained Wardley.

Wardley’s Fairy Tale Still Being Written

Trainer Ben Davison said Dwayne Johnson should play Fabio Wardley in the film sure to be made about his life. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry

For readers unfamiliar with Wardley’s story, he aspired to play soccer for his beloved Ipswich Town until an injury forced him out. He pursued white-collar boxing at his local gym to stay fit. He found he liked it and wasn’t bad at it. With a mere 20 pro fights and no experience, Wardley is now on the brink of getting the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world in just eight years since he first put on gloves.

“I’m laughing. It sounds like a dream. It sounds like a fairy tale,” said Wardley. “But look, this is real life. I’m proof of hard work, commitment, love of the game, love of the sport, dedication, that you can make it in this sport. You got to give yourself to it, but boxing will give you everything.”

Trainer Davison said Wardley resembles former American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder with the same right hand power, but he comes in well-prepared and it’s what makes the difference and what he will take into any fight against Usyk.

“He will be prepared with certain situations, certain scenarios which he will be drilled, which will up his chances on landing. That’s probably what we’re gonna need to do.”

Usyk vs Wardley: Spring or Summer 2026

Boxing heavyweight royalty was ringside at the O2 Arena on Saturday for Parker vs Wardley. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry

Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry was beaming and promised the world would see Usyk vs Wardley, an unthinkable circumstance a year ago.

“Honestly, I sit there in amazement,” said Warren. “Somebody’s had zero amateur experience, 20 fights, fighting a former world champion and a guy who’s just beaten three or four guys in the top 10 and doing it in style. God, everyone in Ipswich should be absolutely proud of him, as we all are in the UK.”

Warren called Wardley is something special. “That was edge-of-your-seat stuff all the way through, both of them gave everything they had. This man here, my God, I’ll take my hat off. It’s a story I’ve never seen in boxing before.”

With the win, Wardley now becomes the mandatory WBO challenger. Warren said he’s confident Usyk will not vacate the WBO title to avoid Wardley, giving Wardley the opportunity to fight for all four belts.

Wardley said the win hadn’t sunk in yet, thanking his team and his fans, singling out Dillian Whyte who spotted him and gave him undercard opportunities to hone his craft. Wardley said without Whyte, he’d still be fighting in “small halls somewhere. You’d never seen me, never heard of me. But that man picked me out of the rough, looked after me, gave his time to me and changed my life. He deserves everything from me.”

The bad news for Wardley: this bout will be far too big to fit into his Ipswich Town FC hometown stadium, with a capacity of a mere 30,000 people. If you love the heavyweights, start making travel plans for London for late spring or summer 2026.

Parker vs Wardley Undercard Results

Fortunately, the Parker vs Wardley PPV undercard will be long forgotten thanks to the main event. Performances were disappointing for fans expecting more action, but several prospects advanced their cases with victories.

The cruiserweight matchup between Juergen Uldedaj of Germany (21-1, 8 KOs) and Rolly Lambert Fogoum of Dubai (18-4, 14 KOs) raised expectations, especially with both men getting a golden opportunity in front of fans at the O2 Arena to make a statement. But the pair remained silent, with Uldedaj doing what he needed to do to win, with Lambert letting the fight slip away in the early rounds.

Scores were 120-108, 119-109, 118-110. Neither man looks like a threat to any of the top names like Opetaia, Ramirez, or Badou Jack.

Ezra Taylor continues working his way up the light heavyweight rankings with a solid TKO9 win. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry

British light heavyweight prospect Ezra Taylor of Nottingham (13-0, 9 KOs) faced and stopped late replacement Steed Woodall of Birmingham (20-4-1, 12 KOs) after Woodall’s corner threw in the towel in the ninth round. Woodall took the fight on just a few days’ notice. It was a big ask. It turned out to be a bit too much. Nevertheless, he gave Taylor plenty of good work, exactly what a prospect at Taylor’s level needs.

Taylor has solid skills and needs to stay active. He is 31 years old, so there’s no time to waste.

Mitchell Smith’s unlikely comeback continues with a solid win over Arnie Dawson. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry

Mitchell Smith of Harrow (19-1, 9 KOs) was once considered a prospect of the year in the UK as he rose through the ranks. But between 2015 and 2024, he only had one fight. He put on weight and struggled with mental health. Smith decided to return last December.

After two six-round fights, Smith took on late replacement opponent in Arnie Dawson of Essex (8-1, 4 KOs) for the WBO European lightweight belt. It was a bold step up for 22-year-old Dawson, credit to him.

Smith scored a knockdown at the end of round one and made the rest of the fight an uphill climb for the determined Dawson. He didn’t panic, but Smith had too much speed and firepower for Dawson, winning by scores of 96-93 and 98-91 twice. It was an improbable comeback story for Smith. Hat tip to Frank Warren for sticking by him, and now they’ll both be rewarded with at least one more title opportunity.

In the PPV opener, super featherweight Royston Barney-Smith of Southampton (15-0, 7 KOs) breezed through the fight, winning all ten rounds on two cards and 98-90 on the third to win the WBO and IBF European titles against Danny Quartermaine of Warwick (13-1-1, 4 KOs).