Fresh off of his big stoppage win over Joseph Parker over the weekend Fabio Wardley is flying high, now having his name mentioned as a potential opponent for reigning champion Oleksandr Usyk. Wardley would not have been thought to be proper opponent for the Ukranian given the perceived skill disparity and obvious experience differential — and there will still be plenty who feel this way — but Wardley tells Sky Sports that his unorthodox approach could pose a threat that Usyk isn’t quite used to
.“[Usyk’s previous opponents] all come from similar backgrounds and ways of doing things, I come from a different school, or a non-school, however you want to call it. We’ve thrown all the usual guys at him, our top dogs. Let me have a crack with something different and see where we end up.”
Wardley believes he’s right in line for a fight with Usyk in 2026, and should he nail down the matchup he’ll be in line to earn a bunch of belts to realize his heavyweight dreams. In that respect Wardley would say there isn’t much more that he could ask for than a shot against a generational talent that could secure his own legacy in the sport, and all he’s looking for is the opportunity.
“Tell Usyk to turn up. Give him the directions to Ipswich. I’ll give him my postcode, he can come find me in the garden, I don’t care. As long as he is there, bring his belts, let’s get this on!” Wardley declared.
With Wardley having a supreme confidence in his ability to win even when he’s down on the scorecards, he says there’s no chance that he would simply roll over for Usyk and would surely make him earn it the hard way if nothing else. Whatever happens, Wardley is undoubtedly in a great position going forward.
