Joseph Parker weighed in 20 pounds heavier than Fabio Wardley on Friday ahead of their heavyweight showdown at London’s O2 Arena this weekend. Parker came in at 262.4 pounds; Wardley weighed 242.7.
“I’m going to punch holes in him tomorrow and teach him a lesson,” Parker said.
The two are facing off for the chance to fight undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk next year, with promoter Frank Warren and Usyk’s team hinting that that fight is all but guaranteed.
Former world champion Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) is vastly more experienced than Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs), who has little amateur experience having started white-collar boxing at age 20.
The clash of styles and experience levels makes for an intriguing fight with title aspirations on the line.
The WBO ordered Usyk to fight interim champion Parker after the Ukrainian’s win over Daniel Dubois in July. However, Usyk could not take the fight due to injury, leading Parker to face Wardley in the interim.
Wardley possesses devastating power, shown with his emphatic knockout record and the fashion of his past two wins in particular.
In July, Wardley was down on the cards against Justis Huni before landing a right hand to win the fight in Round 10.
In October 2024, in a rematch with Frazer Clarke, Wardley also landed a right hand to stop the bout, this time in Round 1.