LONDON – Fabio Wardley transformed his career and moved into contention to fight Oleksandr Usyk in 2026 after dramatically and impressively stopping Joseph Parker in 11 entertaining rounds.
Not unlike against Justis Huni in June, the Englishman was being outboxed by a more proven and cultured opponent, and tiring to the extent that he was on course for his first defeat.
As against Huni, however, he sufficiently hurt Parker in the 10th round at the O2 Arena with a clean right hand that he threatened to stop him before its conclusion. When he hurt him again in the 11th he again recklessly forced the stoppage, and with the experienced Parker again struggling to defend himself, the referee Howard Foster intervened.
In victories over Jack Massey, Faiga Opelu, Simon Kean, Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole since his previous defeat – by Joe Joyce on the evening in 2022 on which Joyce produced his finest performance – Parker had established himself as, after Usyk, the world’s most-in-form heavyweight and therefore worthiest challenger to the undisputed heavyweight crown.
Since Joyce-Parker, Wardley had beaten Nathan Gorman, Michael Polite Coffie, David Adeleye, Frazer Clarke and Huni, but perhaps increasingly endured his limitations being exposed. He responded by battling to a draw with Clarke by stopping him inside a round in their rematch, but Huni was convincingly winning until being clinically stopped in the 10th round.
Wardley’s power, ultimately, isn’t in question. Even after so admirable a victory over Parker, however, at world level his stamina, experience and boxing abilities are.
Parker was almost 20lbs heavier than Wardley at Friday’s weigh-in – 262lbs 4oz represented the second heaviest of his career – in an apparent attempt to be prepared for Wardley’s raw power and also perhaps in acknowledgement that he has the edge in natural ability and speed. He also missed the wedding of his younger brother to accept Saturday’s fight date, having previously agreed to be his best man.
The questions surrounding Wardley’s stamina contributed to the industrious 33-year-old attempting to set a high pace from the opening bell, and until the 10th round he had considerable success.
His jab demonstrated, consistently, his advantage in speed even with a heavier frame, and after Wardley twice fell short when throwing his right hand, a right-left combination from Parker backed him up and forced him towards the ropes where the New Zealander started letting his hands go.
Parker succeeded with a further left-right in the second round, but a right hand from Wardley – whose nose shows all of the damage of his 21-fight career – hurt him and backed him up. Further right hands hurt Parker further and left him holding on by the ropes, which he did somewhat effectively despite already appearing at risk of being stopped. When he then spat his mouthguard out he was fortunate to avoid a point deduction, and when they resumed fighting he showed that his feet still weren’t fully back under him when unable to hurt Wardley despite landing a clean right hand on his chin.
Wardley walked himself into a right hand in the third round and then recovered to land a right of his own that Parker took well. Parker, by comparison, had become somewhat hesitant – even as a fighter accustomed to recovering from knockdowns to win – but succeeded with successive left hands to hurt Wardley in the fourth before again enduring his opponent fighting back.
Swelling was appearing under Parker’s left eye by the sixth round, but what appeared more significant was Wardley’s increasing fatigue. When Parker threw he did so with speed and reasonable form; Wardley had become ragged, but landed with a right uppercut Parker absorbed, and similarly a left hand.
In the seventh round a clean right hand made Wardley hesitate and back up, and in the ninth, after swinging and missing with a right hand of his own, the 30 year old absorbed a strong left-right combination and a succession of lefts. Parker, regardless, was taking risks when his discipline and the lead he was building had him on course for victory; Wardley missed again, but he was continuing to throw with an element of unpredictability and intent.
Parker landed successive right hands when Wardley advanced towards him in the 10th. Again his low hands represented an unnecessary risk, and he was punished when a right hand hurt him and sent him back towards the ropes where he struggled to survive.
When he was hurt by another right in the 11th he was again being hit cleanly. His reputation, alone, may have tempted Foster to allow him to continue fighting, but he was being hurt clearly and cleanly when the referee rescued him after one minute and 54 seconds, and increasingly struggling to survive.
Having rebuilt his career after defeat by Joyce, Parker – a world champion in 2016 – may struggle to recover.
Wardley, according to their promoter Frank Warren, can expect to fight Usyk for the undisputed title next. His progress is among the most rapid and impressive in his profession, but little on the night of his greatest victory suggests that he can hope to win.
“I’ve got only one thing to say,” said Wardley, imitating the Ukrainian. “Usyk. Usyk.
“I said all the way through this build-up, we’ll beat Joseph Parker. I believed I’m at the top – I proved I’m at the top. It’s something we planned for.
“All credit to Joseph Parker – he can’t get enough respect from me. He took a chance he didn’t have to against a risky fighter like myself.
“What I lack in experience I make up for in heart, determination and will. [Victory] hasn’t sunk in yet at all.”
