Fabio Wardley believes that his unconventional fighting style and his unpredictable manner of fighting put WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker at a disadvantage in tonight’s fight at the O2 Arena in London.
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
“They come from a different background to me in terms of very conventional boxing and doing things in a certain way,” Wardley said to Sky Sports Boxing.
Raw Power Factor
Wardley, 30, only has 10 years of boxing experience. So, he’s nowhere near Joseph Parker in terms of experience in the game. He has to rely more on his natural physical attributes of power and speed. Being unpredictable adds to what makes him so dangerous.
“I think with me, my unpredictability in the ring does lend a space to somewhere that he may have not seen or come across ever yet, so I’m a different puzzle that he’ll have to try and figure out,” said Wardley.
Danger in the Unknown
Not knowing when Fabio is going to throw is one thing that makes him dangerous. The other things are his power and hand speed. He’s fast, and with the power he possesses, he’s lethal. That’s the reason he knocked Justis Huni out in the tenth round in their fight earlier this year on June 7th.
“It’s make or break for me. It’s a must-win,” said Parker to iFL TV about tonight’s fight against Wardley. “At the moment, in terms of percentage of knockouts. I think he is,” said Parker when asked if Wardley is the biggest puncher he’ll have fought.
If Wardley is the biggest puncher Parker will have fought, he could be in trouble tonight if he doesn’t knock him out. The longer the fight goes, the more at risk Parker will be of getting knocked out.
He was knocked out by Joe Joyce in the 11th round in 2022. Zhilei Zhang had Parker down twice during their fight on March 8, 2024. Parker doesn’t have the greatest chin, and that’s going to put him at risk of being starched tonight against Wardley.