WBA decision makes path clear for winner of Wardley-Huni

It is becoming increasingly common for a fighter to know exactly what is next after a bout, long before they have entered the ring and dispatched their opponent.  

Sometimes promoters play coy, boxers reiterating the cliché of taking things one fight at a time, not looking past their current rival. 

Whilst Fabio Wardley will be fully focused on his homecoming, and his opponent Justis Huni focused on spoiling it, both fighters know exactly what is up for grabs this weekend. 

Speaking at the final press conference ahead of fight night, Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren reminded both fighters what the reward for victory on Saturday would be. 

The Queensberry boss shared: “The winner of this becomes the number one mandatory for the WBA title. That’s the pot of gold, that’s the carrot.” 

Warren was not basing his statement on insider knowledge; the World Boxing Association (WBA) has made the road ahead for the victor abundantly clear. 

After the sanctioning body confirmed that their regular heavyweight champion, Kubrat Pulev, will face Michael Hunter in a mandatory defence, it was revealed that the winner of that bout would have to face the victor of Wardley-Huni before the end of 2025. 

Increasing the stakes is the inclusion of the interim heavyweight world title for either Wardley or Huni, further establishing their credentials. 

As such, the bout at Portman Road has effectively become a semi-final, with the winner progressing straight to a world title opportunity. All four men are already in the mix for top contender status with the WBA, despite the organisation’s continued insistence on countless belts. 

Pulev’s status as regular champion runs concurrently with Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the 'super' version of the same belt. For all intents and purposes, the boxing world views Usyk’s strap as conferring world champion status, while Pulev’s belt is superfluous in the eyes of many. 

Despite holding the regular version of the heavyweight belt, Pulev, and any potential successor, is not entitled to a direct shot at Usyk, who aims to become undisputed once again in boxing’s top division by beating Daniel Dubois for a second time later this summer. 

Bulgarian Pulev stands outside of the rankings because he is the champion. Wardley is already the WBA’s number one contender; Michael sits second.  

Huni, in the mix with the WBO thanks to holding their global title, has already risen to seventh in the WBA rankings after the announcement of his bout with Wardley. 

In fact, not only does the winner of Saturday’s fight know their rough roadmap for the rest of 2025, but the loser will be fully aware how quickly their stock could drop. 

One half of the WBA’s ad hoc heavyweight tournament contains two aged fighters that have operated on the fringes of the division, the other bracket containing two unbeaten prospects believed to boast huge potential. 

Huni has accepted this fight on short notice, but must feel he is able to stop a potential rival’s bid for a proper world-title shot. Wardley has gone from preparing for a fight against an established contender to facing a slightly unproven, yet hungry prospect. 

The path forward for the winner is clear. For whoever misses out, it could be a long road back to the top. 

Watch Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni on DAZN with a discounted special offer subscription price. More information here