They say everything in life is about timing, and Fabio Wardley’s rise to the top of boxing’s heavyweight division proves the point.
The 30-year-old star from Ipswich did not turn over into the paid ranks after a decorated amateur career – instead he rose through the UK’s white-collar boxing scene. But his arrival into the big leagues came at just the right time.
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Now Wardley has an 18-0-1 pro record thanks to ferocious punching power and the refusal to take a backward step. That crowd-pleasing style could take him to the very brink of a world title shot this Saturday night.
A win over unbeaten Australian Justin Huni (12-0) would give Fabio the position of mandatory contender for the WBA world heavyweight title currently held by the great Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian will defend it against Daniel Dubois in a unification blockbuster at Wembley on July 19.
The equation for Wardley is simple – beat Huni and he is next in line for a shot when the winner of Usyk vs Dubois has to make a mandatory defence. His promoter Frank Warren believes that will likely be in the next 12 months.
A golden age for the heavyweights
Warren was quick to point out at Thursday’s final press conference, that this is indeed a special time to be fighting in the heavyweight division – historically the fight game’s marquee weight class.
The likes of Usyk, Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – along with the tantalising potential of Moses Itauma – mean there is huge excitement surrounding the heavies right now. And the massive financial investment from Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority means the biggest fights are happening, regularly.
“This is the Golden Age of heavyweight boxing at the moment,” said Warren.
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“All these guys are fighting each other, the skill and quality of these heavyweights is probably the best it has been for many, many years.
“This is a very important fight in the heavyweight division. The winner of this becomes the No.1 and mandatory for the WBA title, so they have got everything to go for. It doesn’t get any better than that. The winner goes forward and becomes the guy when the WBA title is fought for on a mandatory basis. That is the goal, that is the carrot.”
Home game for Wardley
Saturday’s showdown will take place at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road football stadium – home of ‘The Tractor Boys’ – Wardley’s favourite team. It’s a dream homecoming, now he just needs to write the final chapter to a boxing fairytale.
Warren continued: “It is big-time boxing in Ipswich. We are in a football stadium and this is huge for Fabio. It is his dream and our job is to try and make these dreams come true. We have delivered as far as that is concerned. Saturday will be a really atmospheric night, everybody is going to be behind Fabio, so he has got everything going for him.
“He knows what he has to do, but he is in with someone who is undefeated, had a stellar amateur career and is coming in off, I think, a second round stoppage. He is a form fighter, he can punch and has stopped seven of his 12 opponents.
“This is quality boxing and, from the time I have spent with Fabio, I know what his ambitions are, I know what he wants and everything he has set out to do he has done. It shows what a natural fighting man he is to have done what he’s done and where he is at.”
