Fabio Wardley says whoever defeats him in the future is going to have an easy task. It’s going to be “well-earned” for whoever does it. That’s a warning for fighters like Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma, who are coming off easy knockout victories.
Usyk & Itauma on Notice
Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) showed how tough he was last Saturday, walking through WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker’s best shots to stop him in the 11th round in an interim unification battle at the O2 Arena in London.
Some of the shots that Parker (36-4, 24 KOs) landed in the fight would have knocked out anyone in the division, including Usyk and Itauma. He landed some massive punches that had the large crowd at the O2 amped up. Wardley’s power, combination punching, and resilience proved to be too much for Parker.
Wardley, 30, is now the WBO mandatory for the title that undisputed champion Usyk holds. He’s counting on Usyk agreeing to face him in 2026. He’d said that he would face the winner of the Parker vs. Wardley fight going into the bout. So, unless Oleksandr has had a change of heart after witnessing the spectacle online, he’ll have to deal with this British phenom.
“Earn It the Hard Way”
“I don’t want to lose. I refuse. And if I am going to lose, it’s going to be well-earned by whoever manages to do that,” said Fabio Wardley to Sky Sports Boxing. “It’s not going to be a simple task, I don’t care who they are.”
It’s scary to think what Wardley could do to Usyk if he drags him into the kind of war he waged against Parker. The Ukrainian hasn’t been involved in that kind of fight since moving up to heavyweight in October 2019.
“As far as achievement, it’s the top. There hasn’t been a bigger opponent. I hope it comes off. I know it was mandated by the WBO. In 2026, hopefully, we’ll see you,” said Wardley about a fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
“I have self-belief. Any man that steps in the ring with me, I can defeat,” said Wardley.
