Fighting Oleksandr Usyk looks like torture. But Fabio Wardley wants to experience it for himself.
Ipswich’s Wardley snatched an against-the-odds victory over Joseph Parker at The O2 arena on Saturday.
It was a demonstration of Wardley’s uncanny ability to put himself through hell and yet still win, a trait which could stand him in good stead against Usyk.
Now, having collected Parker’s WBO Interim title, Wardley is the next mandatory challenger for the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Usyk could vacate the WBO title if he wanted to pursue other options, but to retain all four of the major heavyweight championships he would have to fight Wardley next.
“It’s very simple. I hope he’s a man of his word and it comes off and we get the fight. I know it was mandated by the WBO and I know him, or his team at least, came out not too long ago to say, look, they were keeping an eye on the fight and they were happy to take on the winner,” Wardley told Sky Sports News.
“I believe him to be a man of his word as well. So, 2026, hopefully we’ll see Usyk. That would be huge.”
Promoter Frank Warren does expect Wardley to get that Usyk fight. “I think it will be some time in March. I would love it to be in the UK and there are only two places for it and where it can happen. That will be in Riyadh or here,” Wardley said.
“That will sell out Wembley. You know what you are getting with Usyk and you know what you are getting with Fabio. It is going to be exciting. This fella has got to be one of the most exciting fighters in the world.”
Getting the Usyk fight is one thing, actually beating him is quite another. Tyson Fury has tried twice, and failed. Anthony Joshua tried twice and failed. So too did Daniel Dubois, who was halted in both of his attempts.
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Usyk is an uncommon fighter. He has an indomitable will to win. An elite skillset, that saw him win the Olympic Games at London 2012, brilliant boxing IQ, movement and footwork as well as the capacity to set a tremendous tempo from first round to last.
He’s even showcased a propensity for hurting the biggest heavyweights. He ironed out Daniel Dubois in their Wembley stadium rematch and badly shook up Tyson Fury in their first fight.
Wardley will be a more a significant underdog than those other British heavyweights. Fury and Joshua had both been heavyweight champions twice over before they fought Usyk and Dubois too had managed to win an IBF title and knock out Joshua before his rematch with the Ukrainian.
Usyk came through all that to prove himself the best heavyweight of his generation, never losing a pro bout, going undisputed at heavyweight (twice) as well as cruiserweight.
Wardley does not have those credentials. He never even boxed as a carded amateur, turning pro after only a handful of ‘white-collar’ bouts.
But Wardley does have something about him. Incredible toughness and blasting punch-power that has pulled out a victory for him when all seemed lost. Maybe even his determination to win – considering the punishment he’s endured and prevailed through – is, to coin a phrase, Usykesque.
Take a look at the highlights from Oleksandr Usyk’s spectacular knockout victory against Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium
“It can’t be understated how good he is as a boxer and how much of a talent he is, but ultimately I have self-belief. I don’t care who he is,” Wardley said.
“At the bare bones of it, he’s just a man across the ring with two arms the same as me.
“So any man that steps in that ring with me, I can defeat.”
Wardley has shown, even when it looked like he was being overwhelmed, he doesn’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 whether it’s the first round, 12th round, whichever else.
“The fight lasts for as long as it lasts and if I’m in there, I’m still working to get the win.
“Just resilience. I don’t want to lose, I refuse. And if I am ever going to lose, it’s going to be well earned by whoever manages to do that.
“It’s not going to be a simple task for anyone, I don’t care who they are.”
Wardley is targeting Usyk and the undisputed world championship
Frank Warren warns against ever entirely writing Wardley off. “He is devastating,” the promoter said. “”Of course Usyk will go in and he’ll be a massive favourite. I understand that, but I tell you what, if [Wardley] catches him with one, he will have to have an extraordinary chin.
“What I am pleased for is his journey. If the fight happens, which I believe it will, he will fight for four belts. What a fairy tale that is,” Warren added. “That is an achievement, just to get to that level and be able to do it.
“I have been in the business a long, long time and to see someone with no amateur experience, that was his 21st fight, he is learning on the job and come on, it is amazing.”
