A huge event is going down this weekend as Tyson Fury battles Francis Ngannou in a big crossover fight that is sure to do big business. I’m expecting Fury to do whatever he wants in that bout, end it whenever he wants, but there’s one fight on the undercard that really excites me and that’s the British heavyweight title fight that sees Fabio Wardley defend his belt against David Adeleye.
This is the right fight for both men at this stage of their respective careers and the winner can expect to push on towards bigger fights once this is out the way. There’s still opportunities for the loser as well as both fighters are still learning and in the first stage of their careers, but a win here will feel like a big deal for both men and they’ll be confident they can reach the level Fury operates on if either of them can get the job done impressively.
This has all the makings to be a heavyweight classic as both of these fighters are powerful and they’re both willing to put it all on the line to get the win. Both men are hungry, and they want to be competing for bigger prizes than the British title, but here they are with the Lonsdale belt up for grabs and they’ll be treating that belt like it means the world as it could be the platform for major fights moving forward.
Wardley is a lad I’ve seen pretty much since day one. He had some good exposure due to his relationship with Dillian Whyte, but he still had to go in the ring and prove he could fight. He’s shown he’s very capable and his victory over Nathan Gorman was quite emphatic as many thought that fight would be close.
Adeleye is another fighter who’s impressed on the way up. His run has been at a lower level, but he’s still had to get in there and do the job to pave the way for fights like this one. When you’re a big puncher like Adeleye, there’s pressure to go in there and deliver and you can’t say he hasn’t done that as he’s had it all his own way except for the night he was pushed all the way by Kamil Sokolowski.
For my prediction, I’m going to say Wardley edges it on the cards or perhaps even gets a late stoppage. You’ve got to say that Wardley's record looks better, and he’s fought more experienced opponents. This is as close as it gets but I’m going to go with Wardley in a classic fight that both men will get plenty of respect afterwards.