🔗 Share this article Great Britain's Wardley Stops Parker in Major Heavyweight Upset Fabio Wardley kept his perfect record, progressing to 20 victories and one tied match Published: 26 October 2025 Comments: 106 Fabio Wardley secured a huge upset to shatter Joseph Parker's hopes of becoming a double world heavyweight champion on Saturday and placed himself in contention for a chance at unbeaten champion Oleksandr Usyk. Impressive Comeback Victory The UK fighter is now the primary competitor for the Ukrainian after he earned a impressive comeback victory by stopping the veteran New Zealander in the penultimate round of an exciting and bruising battle at London's O2 Arena. Wardley, 30, secured the WBO 'interim' title when he forced referee Howard Foster to stop the bout as he overwhelmed previous world champion Parker, who had been hurt badly in the 10th by a right-handed uppercut. Emotional Celebration The Ipswich native got the crowd to their feet and dropped to the floor in jubilation as his training team piled into the ring to rejoice. They were magnificent scenes as the previous white-collar boxer maintained his remarkable rise in the pro circuit. Controversial Stoppage There was an discussion that the halt was untimely, especially given Parker had controlled for extended periods of the fight and damaged Wardley numerous times with right hands. But the 33-year-old New Zealander gave little objection when Foster intervened and his trainer Andy Lee did not seem to protest as his man endured his fourth career defeat. Wardley's Victory Comments "I said all the way through this preparation that we chose Joseph Parker because I feel I'm at the top and I proved I'm at the top," stated Wardley. "All credit to Joseph, he can't get enough admiration and he earns all the admiration from the boxing fraternity. He accepted a chance when he didn't have to, and we understood he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to select our spots and ultimately we got them out of there." Turning Point It was a right uppercut from Wardley in the 10th round which shifted the bout clearly back in support of the underdog. This was Wardley's twentieth professional win and his most important. Usyk now possibly awaits early next year. Parker gambled his ranking as the primary contender for Usyk's title by undertaking this fight, dropping to his fourth pro defeat. Promoter's Confident Outlook Wardley's promoter Frank Warren stated to DAZN: "Usyk stated he wants to do it, so that's what it will be. It's a thirty-six minute fight and it only takes one second from him." Wardley's Remarkable Journey Continues Wardley watched Parker's world title fight against Anthony Joshua in 2018 from a bar It was a who's who of the British heavyweight category in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the observers. Usyk was not here, but he was the man this bout was all for. Wardley marched to the ring decked out in Ipswich Town colors with the football club's emblem featured on his kit. Impressive Career Progression He remarked in the preparation how it was remarkable that when Parker was securing the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he was only participating in white-collar boxing. Yet here he was on the identical platform as the seasoned Kiwi in a fight to establish the next challenger for Usyk, the greatest heavyweight of this generation. Fight Description With Lee in his corner, Parker was on a red-hot run coming into this bout of six victories including successes over the likes of Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder and Martin Bakole. As chants of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' rang around the arena, Parker gained control with a powerful of a jab that soon produced blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter's nose. The finish to the first three minutes was emphatic from the favourite as Parker stormed through with a rocket of a right hand. Thrilling Momentum Shift Parker's control vanished when a right hand from Wardley rocked him in the second. It would be a precursor to what would follow later in the fight. It was a beautiful shot and raised those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unstable on his. The expertise of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be crucial here. Wardley was always threatening, but Parker was connecting the better shots through the middle rounds. Last Rounds and Victory The Kiwi's left uppercuts to the body and right hands over the top were a notable feature, but Wardley's own backhand remained a risk. The fight looked to be losing steam in the eighth before it erupted back into life and shifted clearly back in Wardley's benefit in the 10th. He ensured his remarkable story would get another chapter against Usyk when he attacked Parker in the 11th with a volley of shots which forced Foster to act. It may have been early but Wardley will argue that Parker was taking significant punishment. Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley? Wardley has 19 knockouts in 20 wins, having a 95% knockout rate Usyk applied for a medical exception to postpone his compulsory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his advisor Serge Lapin recently verified that the undefeated champion was ready to face the winner of this bout. Warren will now look to arrange that fight next year for his man. Quick Ascent to the Top With just 21 professional fights on the back of no amateur background having emerged from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still unpolished and his rise to this position has been significantly fast tracked. But now he is in a place to face the finest heavyweight of this period which is a Hollywood-like tale. Parker's Future Thoughts Parker will now have to deliberately evaluate his next step, given his age and how long he has been fighting at the highest level. He undertook a huge chance here and his chances of reclaiming a share of the world heavyweight crown have been lessened.