What’s Next for Fabio Wardley, the TSS Fighter of the Month for October?

The most compelling match-up in October produced the most stirring fight. The Oct. 25 clash between Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker at London’s O2 Arena was a scorcher. Wardley, the underdog, stopped Parker in the 11^th round.

Few of the so-called smarts favored Wardley while conceding that he had a puncher’s chance. Parker, a former world heavyweight title-holder, was on a spendid roll since hooking up with trainer Andy Lee, having won six straight including a near-shutout of Deontay Wilder and a two-round blast-out of formidable (albeit ill-trained) Martin Bakole. Wardley had an eye-catching record (19-0-1, 18 KOs) but was still considered a work in progress, consistent with his amateur background (he had none; his only experience before turning pro was on four “white collar” cards, boxing shows, usually for charity, aimed at, but not exclusive to office workers).

Wardley’s first crossroads fight came against Tyson Fury’s cousin Nathan Gorman. In the second round, Gorman split Wardley’s nose open. Wardley responded by knocking Gorman down twice before the round was over and scored another knockdown before Gorman’s corner tossed in the towel in round four. The led to a 12-round barnburner with former Olympian Frazer Clarke for the British heavyweight title.

That fight went to the scorecards, ending in a draw and dictating a rematch that was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (underneath the first meeting between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitriy Bivol).

Wardley-Clarke II was a wild slugfest that was over in a flash. Clarke was removed to a hospital with a fractured cheekbone after the match ended in the opening round. Next up was the undefeated Australian Justis Huni. Fighting at the soccer stadium in Wardley’s hometown of Ipswich, Huni, a former amateur standout, comprehensively out-boxed Wardley for nine rounds before Fabio lowered the boom, pulling the fight out of the fire with a one-punch knockout.

If Huni could out-box Wardley, it figured that Joseph Parker could do the same and Parker, who had gone 12 rounds with Anthony Joshua, was presumably too savvy to get clocked by one of Wardley’s haymakers. And after the first round, which Parker clearly won, it did indeed appear that there was a class difference between them.

But hold the phone. Wardley had a big second round, buzzing Parker on several occasions, and the firefight was still up for grabs after 10 frames, a big round for the Ipswich man who was plainly trailing on the cards but was now the alpha dog. In the next round, he pinned Parker against the ropes and let loose a flurry of unanswered punches, forcing the stoppage.

This was a unification fight of sorts. Wardley held the WBA “interim” title. Joseph Parker held the WBO version. With the victory, Wardley, 30, becomes Oleksandr Usyk’s mandatory opponent for Usyk’s next title defense.

Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren is adamant that Fabio’s next fight will be for all four belts and says that negotiations have already begun, but this is boxing where nothing is ever etched in stone and with Usyk currently dealing with a mysterious back injury that, he says, keeps him from training, Warren may be forced to go in a different direction.

If not Usyk, then who?

Wardley says that he would be open to a rematch with Joseph Parker. A rematch with Justis Huni would also be an easy sell.

Frank Warren also promotes Daniel Dubois. In November of last year, after Wardley knocked out Frazer Clarke and Dubois was fresh off his stoppage of Anthony Joshua, Warren said, “We can build [Wardley vs Dubois] into something special.” That would be an easy fight for Warren to make, but the “specialness” eroded when Dubois was KOed by Usyk in their rematch.

There is another interim title-holder out there. The WBC puts Agit Kabayel in this category, but Kabayel has signed to fight Damian Knyba in January. And then there’s Kubrat Pulev, the 44-year-old Bulgarian who is recognized as the “regular” world heavyweight champion by the putrid WBA (which logically makes Oleksandr Usyk their irregular champion). As for Wardley’s countryman Moses Itauma, the newest “next big thing,” don’t look for that match to transpire anytime soon. Neither would risk it at this stage of their respective careers.

Regardless of who comes next, Fabio Wardley is already a legend in England, or at least in Ipswich where the menfolk will tell you that he has the biggest balls in town.

Fighter of the Month Honorable Mentions: Cecilia Braekhus; Brandon Mejia

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