Fabio Wardley: Title Defense Plans
Fabio Wardley, who maintains an unblemished record of 21 wins in his professional boxing career, is eager to stage his inaugural defense of the WBO world title in the upcoming spring season. The Ipswich heavyweight, crowned champion last November after the former titleholder Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt instead of defending against him, has several contenders in mind for his first title challenge.
Desire for UK Defense
Wardley expressed a strong desire to hold his title defense in the UK, especially after achieving a significant victory over Joseph Parker at London’s O2 Arena in November by stopping him in the 11th round.
“We’re targeting a date around April to May, which provides a solid time frame for training and preparation. However, nothing is confirmed yet,”
Wardley shared with BBC Radio Suffolk. He acknowledged that the venue will depend on the opponent and opportunities that arise, stating,
“While I prefer to fight in the UK for my first defense, it’s challenging at this level to overlook the right opportunity.”
Potential Challengers
Among the contenders, fellow British boxer Moses Itauma is currently the top-ranked challenger, although his upcoming match against Jermaine Franklin has been postponed until March. Consequently, second-ranked fighters such as Filip Hrgovic, Agit Kabayel, and seasoned veteran Derek Chisora could all emerge as potential challengers for Wardley. Wardley noted,
“No more backward steps from here. I expect to fight someone like Chisora, who is more of a front-runner compared to Kabayel. Hrgovic and (China’s Zhilei) Zhang are also options to be considered based on their WBO rankings.”
Reflections on His Journey
Reflecting on his journey to the pinnacle of boxing, Wardley remarked,
“This is exactly where I envisioned myself when I embarked on my professional career. It has taken ten years to reach this point, and now I have the luxury of choosing from a pool of opponents.”
Future Aspirations
In addition to focusing on his upcoming challenges, Wardley has expressed a keen interest in facing Oleksandr Usyk again, who currently holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight belts. He stated,
“It’s ultimately up to Usyk. Our fight could happen at any time, a matter of his preference, whether that’s soon or not at all. He has the power to direct the course of the division now.”
Wardley has also set his eyes on potential bouts with former world champion Tyson Fury, who recently made headlines by ending his latest retirement. The 31-year-old Wardley commented,
“Fury seems to want a preliminary fight before aiming for another world title by summer. We were keen to entice him into a match, but he may prefer to cautiously return to the ring after a year off. Hopefully, we can line something up for him in the summer.”
Wardley theorized that Usyk might be hesitant to face Fury again in the near future since he has defeated him twice already, suggesting that Wardley represents Fury’s best opportunity to vie for a world title.
“For Fury, the only clear paths to a title shot are through me or Usyk. He may aim to take my title before trying to secure a rematch with Usyk,”
Wardley added.
Catch the Full Interview
Fans can catch more insights from Wardley in his full interview with Graeme McLoughlin on BBC Radio Suffolk at 18:45 GMT on Friday.
