LONDON — Fabio Wardley has called out undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk following his win over Joseph Parker on Saturday and warned the Ukrainian he will have to work hard against him.
Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) stopped Parker in Round 11 with the emphatic win earning him the WBO interim title. Wardley was dominating the New Zealander midway through the round with Parker unable to defend himself, leading referee Howard Foster to intervene.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed the governing body will order Usyk to fight Wardley, who said he will fight the Ukrainian anywhere, any time for the undisputed championship.
“I don’t know how I put that one [fighting Usyk] into words,” Wardley told the post-fight news conference.
“That has been the goal for a number of years now. It’s been everything I’ve wanted. We’re there. It’s a wild one to say but one of the generational talents, one of the best to ever do it, for all the marbles. There’s nothing more I could want within this sport.
“I’m not planning on getting in the ring with Usyk and going ‘thanks for having me’ and rolling over. When that bell does go, he’s going to have to work for it.
“I think I’d like to go overseas, something different, maybe America. Ultimately it could be in my back garden. Give him the directions to Ipswich, I’ll give him my postcode, and we can do it in the garden. As long as he’s there, bring his belts, let’s get this on.”
However, Warren said the fight will either land in London, potentially at Wembley Stadium, or Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“I think it will be some time in March, something like that,” Warren said.
“I’d love it to be in the UK. There’s only two places for it, Riyadh or here. That would sell out Wembley. You know what you’re getting with Usyk and you know what you’re getting with Fabio.
“It’s going to be exciting. This fella’s [Wardley] got to be one of the most exciting fighters in the world. Devastating.”