Promoter Frank Warren, speaking on Sky Sports News, said March is likely to be the month when his warrior – as in a capital ‘W’ – Fabio Wardley will get his shot at unified, four-belt heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Coming off that incredible winning war with Joseph Parker, the unbeaten Wardley is, all of a sudden, being looked at by plenty of people as a real and genuine threat to Usyk and his current heavyweight domination.
Man of His Word Test
Wardley, a special kind of tough who also carries monstrous punching power, this early as well as late in a fight, spoke to Sky Sports himself, and the 30 year old with the 20-0-1(19) record said he hopes Usyk is a “man of his word.” Usyk, Wardley said, pretty much came out and said that he would defend his belts against the winner of the Wardley-Parker fight, which was a WBO final eliminator.
“I think it will be in March sometime,” Warren said of a Usyk-Wardley fight. “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. 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 [Wardley] has got to be one of the most exciting fighters in the world.”
Usyk’s Brit-Bashing Streak
Usyk, 24-0(15), has become known as something of a ‘Brit-Basher,’ what with him having beaten Tyson Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois (twice), Derek Chisora, and, down at cruiserweight, Tony Bellew. But might Wardley go on to be the British fighter to change things and hand Usyk his very first pro loss? It’s a result that cannot in any way be ruled out, not when we have seen, more than once, how rough, tough, determined, and never-say-die Wardley is, a man who really does have sledgehammers for fists.
It’s a fascinating fight to look forward to, and surely Usyk, who will turn 39 in January, will indeed be a “man of his word” and will grant Wardley his deserved shot at him.