Fabio Wardley is NEW WBO Heavyweight Champion!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oleksandr Usyk accused of ‘ducking’ fight he previously agreed to

Heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk has been painted with a rather unfavourable brush, accused of swerving his leading challenger after vacating his WBO world title.

The Ukrainian elected to relinquish his strap earlier this month, not long after being ordered to face mandatory contender Fabio Wardley.

Prior to that, Wardley had claimed his WBO interim title with an 11th round stoppage victory over former world champion Joseph Parker, who, it was later revealed, had tested positive for cocaine on the day of their enthralling encounter last month.

As a result of Usyk vacating his belt, Wardley has since been upgraded from interim to full WBO world champion, with a maiden defence of his title expected to arrive next spring.

That first defence, however, is unlikely to be a unification against Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA world titles following his fifth round stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois last July.

With that win, the vastly accomplished technician achieved his ambition of becoming a three-time undisputed champion.

The 38-year-old has left himself with very little to prove, as with two victories over Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, respectively, the Olympic gold medallist has firmly rubber-stamped his supremacy in this heavyweight era.

But despite that, the manager of Wardley, Michael Ofo, nonetheless believes that Usyk is actively avoiding his big-punching client.

In an interview with talkSport, Ofo explained that, before Usyk vacated his title, an agreement was put in place for the formidable southpaw to face Wardley.

“Before the [Parker] fight, Usyk’s team put an offer out there. I won’t go into too much detail, but we agreed to everything in principle.

“All of the terms they wanted, we agreed to them, and then they backed out. To be honest, I thought that Usyk was going to take the fight.

“I thought he was the type of champion who doesn’t duck challenges.”

Since vacating the belt, Usyk has confirmed that the Wardley fight does not interest him at this moment in time and has instead called out Deontay Wilder.

[keithmoonhangover]

Wardley vs [INSERT BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT'S NAME HERE] up next.

[Coco]

Wardley vs [INSERT BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT'S NAME HERE] up next.

There are probably 10 who could fit the bill from the UK

[keithmoonhangover]

Wardley vs [INSERT BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT'S NAME HERE] up next.

There are probably 10 who could fit the bill from the UK

Chisora? That fight would sell and is a decent matchup. What do you think Mr Coco?

[Coco]

Wardley vs [INSERT BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT'S NAME HERE] up next.

There are probably 10 who could fit the bill from the UK

Chisora? That fight would sell and is a decent matchup. What do you think Mr Coco?

Definite possibility

[JamesPhilips]

There are probably 10 who could fit the bill from the UK

Chisora? That fight would sell and is a decent matchup. What do you think Mr Coco?

Definite possibility

That will sell, but be brutal and do long term damage to Chisora

[KiwiRider]

Will you guys just stop mentioning Zhang and Chisora please?
They are both done at anywhere close to the second tier.
There was a time, but that time has gone.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will you guys just stop mentioning Zhang and Chisora please?
They are both done at anywhere close to the second tier.
There was a time, but that time has gone.

Chisora can still be a handful though. For most.

Wardley wins, but he’s not a top level boxer.

[joshj909]

Will you guys just stop mentioning Zhang and Chisora please?
They are both done at anywhere close to the second tier.
There was a time, but that time has gone.

Chisora can still be a handful though. For most.

Wardley wins, but he’s not a top level boxer.

It's also a voluntary defence. He will likely be trying to maximise his earnings from it, not necessarily pick the best opposition.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Wardley vs [INSERT BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT'S NAME HERE] up next.

Jordan Thompson

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fabio Wardley targets Madison Square Garden outing in 'big and busy' 2026

Fabio Wardley has set his sights on an American debut in 2026 - and he wants to make it at Madison Square Garden.

The 31-year-old was upgraded to full WBO heavyweight champion of the world in November and his team are now in the process of arranging the first defence of his new title.

As reported by The Ring, all-British fights against either Tyson Fury or Derek Chisora are both high on Wardley’s wish list but he has now revealed another goal for the new year.

“I just want 2026 to be big and busy,” Wardley told The Ring.

“I’ve got a world title now but I’m not trying to sit and hold onto it and hide away with it, I want to be busy and fighting regularly.

“I want big fights, big names, big events and big occasions. I’ve had some already in my career and ticked off some great achievements and milestones but that has only made me want more.

“If we’ve done all that, then what can’t we do this? Why can’t we do Madison Square Garden? That’s where I’d like to go. That’s high on my list now and I have no plans of easing up, I have always looked for the biggest challenges and that’s not going to change now.”

However a fight at Madison Square Garden would require an adequate dance partner and Wardley revealed that his original idea for an opponent has been stolen by none other than Ring, WBA, IBF and WBC champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“An idea I had coming into the year was the Wilder fight as well,” Wardley adds. “But someone snatched that off me. So, that would have been a great one to do in America and that’s the sort of fight that would work at MSG."

Another possibility could be a showdown with Jared Anderson, the man once hailed as the future of the heavyweight division. His progress was wrecked by Martin Bakole in 2024 when he was knocked out in the fifth round of their Los Angeles clash but he got back to winning ways in February and is currently ranked at No. 5 with the WBO.

Wardley said: "The opponent definitely does matter because I’ve never fought in America before so the crowd is new to me. There's going to have to be a good opponent on the other side that's going to make it a good fight, a worthy story for the fans to come out and want to watch.

“Really I'm just looking for new achievements, new milestones, new things to tick off. Because when I do sit down eventually and look back on my career, I want to look back and know I didn't leave any stone unturned.”

There was a time when Wardley, the former white-collar fighter with no amateur experience, was seen as high risk and little reward for other heavyweight contenders. But everything changed once he claimed the WBO title with even Fury now calling him out as he plots a route back from his most recent retirement.

“People are a lot more open to fighting me these days,” Wardley says. “The world title is a very shiny bauble that people want to get their hands on - the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. What the belt does is keep these conversations alive for way longer than beforehand.”

One of the lengthiest conversations so far has been with Chisora, the 42-year-old Londoner currently seeking his 50th and potentially final fight. As it stands, with Fury away training in Thailand and Joshua currently taking some time away from the sport after his personal tragedy, Wardley believes a fight with Chisora now seems likely.

“All fights are a possibility,” Wardley explains. “But the one with Chisora, out of the list of names, seems probably most realistic and currently at the forefront.

“But Del Boy will always be Del Boy and he’s always going to have his own plans and grand designs about how he wants his 50th fight to look and I understand it might not marry up.”

The same can be said of a world title defence against two-time world heavyweight champion Fury, who is set to return to the ring at some point this year for the first time since his second defeat to Usyk in December 2024. Wardley has heard the call outs but, for now, is not taking them too seriously.

“This is Tyson Fury we are talking about,” he says. “Everything is a lot of talk with him.

“But it’s a lot of talk until it isn’t, until he finally says ‘ok, let’s have it then’. So I just have to keep in his face, keep at the forefront and just keep the conversation open and say: ‘look, we’re here, there’s no need for games, prancing, fussing, back and forth, this can all be done very simply - just make the call and I’ll be on the other end of the phone’.

“Right now he’s saying he wants to have a little knock around himself first to get himself back into the swing of things so maybe he does that. If I could jump straight into that fight I would but if not we need to fill the gap ourselves.

“Maybe that’s when we head to America - or maybe that’s where Chisora comes in.”

[joshj909]

No way could Wardley Vs Chisora headline a MSG card. They'd have to be co-main or it would have to be a different opponent for Wardley.

[Ruthless-RKO]

No way could Wardley Vs Chisora headline a MSG card. They'd have to be co-main or it would have to be a different opponent for Wardley.

Why would two Brits have a headline fight in New York anyway. we have big arena’s here that hold same as MSG.

Has Chisora ever fought in US before?

It’s just a daft thing to say.

[gilgamesh]

No way could Wardley Vs Chisora headline a MSG card. They'd have to be co-main or it would have to be a different opponent for Wardley.

Why would two Brits have a headline fight in New York anyway. we have big arena’s here that hold same as MSG.

Has Chisora ever fought in US before?

It’s just a daft thing to say.

Chisora vs Wardley would surely be worth like 70% less money if they did it in America. Nobody knows who they are here.

I would bet you that at least 80% of Americans have never heard of Usyk either.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[tigermoth87]

Out of all the options, what a shock that Fraudley picks the softest and easiest choice in Dereck "Fails to ever step up past gatekeeper level" Chisora.

Pathetic. Should be stripped of the title he didn't even earn.

[joshj909]

Out of all the options, what a shock that Fraudley picks the softest and easiest choice in Dereck "Fails to ever step up past gatekeeper level" Chisora.

Pathetic. Should be stripped of the title he didn't even earn.

Chisora is facing Wilder now isn't he?

[Sweet Dick Willie]

How about a Chisora farewell tour where he fights Wardley, then Wilder, then Usyk and for the grand finale the fight we've all been waiting for: Fury IV!

[paultom]

Out of all the options, what a shock that Fraudley picks the softest and easiest choice in Dereck "Fails to ever step up past gatekeeper level" Chisora.

Pathetic. Should be stripped of the title he didn't even earn.

you really don't like Wardley do you ?, did he nick your lunch money in school or something ?

He fought one of the highest ranked fighters in his last fight and stopped him, why can't he have an easy voluntary like almost every other title holder in the past has done

[joshj909]

This is 12 year old humour. Usyk has multiple options to choose from and some would argue Wardley isn't too of the pile. I don't think Usyk should face Ruiz or Wilder but is Usyk's willing to face much more accomplished opponents than Wardley, there's no reason he would duck Wardley. He wants the cash and legacy at the moment. Wardley only adds that if he makes it undeniable that he's the number one contender which would be taking out Kabayel and/or Itauma. He hasn't even defended his belt yet...

[joshj909]

Wardley's options for his first defence, if Usyk chooses someone else as rumoured and other heavily rumoured fights go ahead, are:
- Kabayel "unification" which is the best option.
- Itauma which means waiting until after the Franklin fight. Both Queensbury which makes it easy but I don't see it happening.
- Hrgovic
- Anderson
- Hysa
- Jalolov (no chance)
- Riakporhe
- Ajagba
- Dacres
- Trujillo

[mickey1975]

Wardley's options for his first defence, if Usyk chooses someone else as rumoured and other heavily rumoured fights go ahead, are:
- Kabayel "unification" which is the best option.
- Itauma which means waiting until after the Franklin fight. Both Queensbury which makes it easy but I don't see it happening.
- Hrgovic
- Anderson
- Hysa
- Jalolov (no chance)
- Riakporhe
- Ajagba
- Dacres
- Trujillo

And involves Wardley or Itauma leaving their trainer which neither said will happen.

[joshj909]

Wardley's options for his first defence, if Usyk chooses someone else as rumoured and other heavily rumoured fights go ahead, are:
- Kabayel "unification" which is the best option.
- Itauma which means waiting until after the Franklin fight. Both Queensbury which makes it easy but I don't see it happening.
- Hrgovic
- Anderson
- Hysa
- Jalolov (no chance)
- Riakporhe
- Ajagba
- Dacres
- Trujillo

And involves Wardley or Itauma leaving their trainer which neither said will happen.

I didn't even realise they had the same trainer. Definitely not happening then. So realistically, that likely leaves the below because I don't think he's choosing to face Jalolov:
- Kabayel
Hrgovic
- Anderson
- Hysa
- Riakporhe
- Ajagba
- Dacres
- Trujillo

[tigermoth87]

you really don't like Wardley do you ?, did he nick your lunch money in school or something ?

He fought one of the highest ranked fighters in his last fight and stopped him, why can't he have an easy voluntary like almost every other title holder in the past has done

Early stoppage. That fight vs Parker was a robbery and he got handed a world title he doesn't deserve, now his team are trying to say Usyk is ducking him whilst Fraudley chases after the softest title defence he can.

The quicker he gets sparked out and sent back to BUMVILLE like what happened with Joyce the better.

[paultom]

you really don't like Wardley do you ?, did he nick your lunch money in school or something ?

He fought one of the highest ranked fighters in his last fight and stopped him, why can't he have an easy voluntary like almost every other title holder in the past has done

Early stoppage NOT HIS FAULT. That fight vs Parker was a robbery and he got handed a world title he doesn't deserve- HE DIDN'T ASK FOR USYK TO VACATE, now his team are trying to say Usyk is ducking him whilst Fraudley chases after the softest title defence he can.- ITS CALLED BOXING, IT'S FULL OF SHITE

The quicker he gets sparked out and sent back to BUMVILLE like what happened with Joyce the better.