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Joseph Parker confirmed to face Fabio Wardley in October as Oleksandr Usyk awaits WBO decision
Joseph Parker will face Fabio Wardley later this year at London's The O2 Arena, as the New Zealander continues to bide his time for a world title shot against Oleksandr Usyk .
The WBO interim champion, who defeated Martin Bakole in February after Daniel Dubois pulled out of their IBF clash, had been issued as the Ukrainian's mandatory challenger.
But amid Usyk's requests for an extension to negotiations over a reported injury , Parker appears unwilling to wait any longer for his next test, moving onto WBA interim Wardley.
The latter appeared destined for defeat to Justis Huni at his Portman Road homecoming in Ipswich in June, but scored a remarkable tenth-round knockout to turn the tide around.
Now, Parker and Wardley - both signed to Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions - will meet in a major contest on October 25th in the British capital with serious reprecussions.
If the WBO elect not to accept Usyk's request, the two-time undisputed star would likely be stripped of his belt, with the Kiwi fighter elevated to full champion status in his position.
That would open the door for the younger Wardley to challenge for a full world title and further push his name into the conversation as one of the division's premier operators.
Parker would represent a new level of test for the fighter however, with the veteran on a hot streak after victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in the past two years.
Promoter Frank Warren added: “This will be a corker of a heavyweight clash and one which will shine a huge light on the division. Fights like this one are as good as it can get outside of the champion defending his belts and the sort we want to see happen.
“Neither Joe or Fabio wanted to wait about and protect their positions and credit to them both for this. I believe this is a genuine even-money fight with a mesh of styles that I am sure will be eye-catching and highly crowd-pleasing.
“We promised to keep firing up this heavyweight division and we intend to keep all the contenders jockeying for position until the time come to fight for the ultimate prize.
“It is wonderful to be back at The O2 Arena with ‘All or Nothing’. It will be a great show with some extremely competitive and meaningful fights on the undercard. This event will be the hottest ticket in town.”
“DAZN is the broadcast home of the heavyweights,” said Michael Ridout, DAZN EVP, Combat Sports & New Business. “On October 25th we’ll be delivering another world class clash between two of the top names in the division.
“Joe is coming off 3 brilliant wins and is looking to cement his position at the top of the rankings whilst Fabio continues to prove all his doubters wrong and will want to leave the O2 with his unblemished record intact.
“All the drama will unfold on another special night live and exclusive, worldwide on DAZN.”
Risk and Reward
DAZN News Senior Boxing Editor Chris Walker previews what promises to be a brutal heavyweight encounter
Joseph Parker’s frustrating wait for a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk continues, but no one can accuse the New Zealander of sitting around waiting for his moment.
Parker begins next month’s showdown with Fabio Wardley a significant favourite, but he is facing one of the division's biggest punchers – a fighter, like Deontay Wilder, Parker’s old rival, who only needs one second to end a fight.
Wardley poses a huge threat to Parker and with the former world champion so close to another world title opportunity, of course he may even get one here if the WBO get strong, this fight, if it is not for a belt, contains so much risk.
Unlike the big stars in the division, Wardley never entered the pro game with amateur successes or Olympic medals. He beat up men in exhibition bouts on the white-collar circuit and when he impressed Dillian Whyte in the gym, he became a regular sparring partner before appearing on his shows.
That progress is almost unheard of in professional boxing, but Wardley has made the most of that opportunity and he has bludgeoned several high-profile opponents on his way to the business end of the heavyweight division.
Frazer Clarke and Justis Huni provided some clues on how Wardley can be beaten, but despite their best efforts, they both ended up in helpless piles on the canvas. Parker may believe he is too streetwise to meet a similar fate, but he will have to spend every single moment in this fight switched on otherwise his pursuit of a second world title could go up in smoke.
The risk and reward are obvious to each man in this fascinating battle, and it appears at this stage that Wardley has nothing to lose. For Parker, it is the complete opposite.
Chasing Usyk and Dubois, boxing’s heavyweight belt holders in recent times has saw Parker overcome difficult tasks such as Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole. Defeat to Wardly could render that heroic crusade pointless.
The stakes are very high for both men on October 25th. They could get even higher when the men in suits behind the scenes catch up. But WBO world title or not, Parker and Wardley have proven themselves to be serious contenders these last two years, and they will go all out to prove it once more when the first bell sounds.
Matchroom BoxingWatch Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan II on DAZN
Watch Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan II, plus the whole undercard from Belfast's Windsor Park, with a DAZN subscription this September.
