Joseph Parker was several rounds ahead of Fabio Wardley on the judges’ scorecards before being stopped.
Wardley and Parker met in an eye-catching heavyweight showdown, with the highest of all stakes on the line, a shot at current undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk.
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Wardley needed to come from behind on the scorecards if he was to win the bout by the final bellCredit: Getty
Parker was the heavy favourite to win the bout, but it turned into more of a war than the elite technical operator would have hoped.
The New Zealander was doing enough to snatch the rounds, but Wardley was posing a real threat with his sharp and powerful hands.
In his last fight against Justis Huni, Wardley had not panicked despite being down on the judges’ scorecards, and detonated a booming right hand to close the show and win from behind.
And yesterday, Wardley was clearly faced with the same prospect, and despite being much improved in the exchanges, found himself behind once again.
But in the eleventh round, despite being controversial in the eyes of some in the boxing world, Wardley got his stoppage with just minutes left to find an answer.
Now the judges’ tallies have been released in full, and the importance of Wardley’s comeback stoppage has now been heightened.
After the tenth round, Wardley had a mountain to climb on two of the judges’ scorecards which read 98-92 and 96-94 with two periods remaining.
The third judge had the bout level but Wardley needed to be winning the final two stanzas, with even a knockdown, to cement his name as the victor.
Luckily for Wardley, he was able to turn the screw in the eleventh and an onslaught saw him awarded a stoppage with Parker throwing little in return.
Even if the fight hadn’t have been stopped, the momentum was with Wardley in the eleventh, and a standing count or Parker surviving would almost certainly have seen him win the round.
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But Wardley got his moment of magic late on and turned the tablesCredit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
And it would have all been down to a tense championship round, with Wardley likely to have thrown the kitchen sink and all of his power punches at the dethroned interim champion.
What next for Fabio Wardley?
After avoiding the judges’ scorecards and getting the career-best victory under his belt, Wardley is destined for the top.
The Briton is now next in line for a shot at Usyk, who has already been ordered to defend against the WBO interim champion.
Promoter Frank Warren has teased the bout could well take place in spring next year.
And indications from Usyk’s team are that the bout will be accepted and that too is his plan.
Wardley insists that he is ready for the big opportunity and isn’t coming to make up the numbers.
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Wardley has earned his date with destiny against Usyk in 2026Credit: Getty
He said: “I haven’t sat down and dissected him yet, but that’s a job for next year. It’s a wild one when you piece it all together but I’m the next one up.
“I’ve got big broad shoulders so that’s fine by me, I’ll carry all the pressure. But I’m something different.
“[Usyk’s previous opponents] all come from similar backgrounds and ways of doing things, I come from a different school, or a non-school, however you want to call it.
“We’ve thrown all the usual guys at him, our top dogs. Let me have a crack with something different and see where we end up.”