Yesterday’s final press conference in North Greenwich, London added fuel to the heavyweight fire between New Zealand’s WBO mandatory challenger Joseph Parker and rising Brit Fabio Wardley.
With just today’s weigh-in left, they finally meet head-on at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich peninsula Saturday night (25th). The winner will likely go on to face current undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Aptly titled ‘All or Nothing’ by Queensberry Promotions, this is a crossroads fight with the winner in pole position for that world shot, whilst the loser will have to rebuild. Parker, the former-WBO champion has been in a mandatory position for some time but been denied a third world title shot thus far.
Parker qualified it in his opening remark: “For me, this is all or nothing”. He explained his belief and confidence in what lay ahead paying reference to his opponent: “I’m (on) a different level to be honest … I want to explain in actions, not words !”. Seemingly looking bored and slightly irritated by the formality and proceedings he conveyed ‘all-business’ about Saturday’s challenge.
Ipswich, England’s Fabio Wardley, then took to the microphone and explained “Every time I step up, … I step up on Saturday and it’s not going to be an exception !”.
Hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren took up the mic’ to embellish and endorse his promotion.. “This is the most significant fight at the moment in the heavyweight division” emphasizing the earlier point.
On explaining the danger that Wardley possesses and, particularly responding to the Parker comment on ‘levels’ he said “One thing he’s got going for him is he’s got the leveller !”. The dramatic final round KO of Justis Huni in Wardley’s last fight provides proof of this.
It’s an intriguing matchup with high stakes. Parker is coming off three high profile victories against world ranked opponents and is very much the man ‘in possession’ of the mandatory shot. Wardley is aiming to ‘gatecrash’ his party and the right to challenge whom Warren politely described as “Mr Usyk”.
The claim is that the Ukrainian has already verbally assured he will fight again in the New Year and the winner of this is his likely first opponent.
Wardley in still undefeated with a high KO ratio and is very much on the rise. The Huni KO, despite the Brit being heavily behind on points at the time, emphatically kept his momentum going.
It’s true that Wardley hasn’t fought as long and at the level that Parker has, but he certainly has that KO power. He explained that he has much more than that in his arsenal and won’t be wholly relying on it.
In the final comments from both combatants, Parker retorted “I’m gonna smash him !”. Wardley equally responded on the outcome, a “Fabio Wardley win by KO”. When there was a suggestion that Parker was looking beyond Wardley, the Kiwi responded “I don’t care about what’s next, I care about Saturday !”.
It should be an excellent contest with both men having size, durability and power. They will meet head-on but have the skills to take the fight deep. We think the Brit powered on by his youth and vociferous local following will get the win by eight-round KO.
Catch it on on DAZN or BBC Radio5. Main ring entrances from 22:00 BST.
The Undisputed 