Australia’s Justis Huni has finally opened up on the secret chaos that engulfed his first ever career loss to Englishman Fabio Wardley — whose own undefeated tear he is now tipping to end in spectacular fashion this Sunday.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Huni has backed New Zealand’s Joseph Parker to enjoy “a walk in the park” in this hyped interim WBO heavyweight title showdown against Wardley in London (ring walks expected 8.30am AEDT).

The declaration comes as the Queenslander has also spoken for the first time about his own brutal KO loss against Wardley in June – stopped by a devastating “Right Hand from the Gods” in the 10th round, and while leading easily on all three scorecards.

Parker vs Wardley | Sunday 26 Oct from 4:30am AEDT – estimated main event ring walk time 8:30am AEDT | A classic heavyweight showdown takes place at the 02 Arena in London, as NZ’s Joseph Parker takes on Fabio Wardley | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Apart from coming off his couch to take the fight on just five weeks’ notice, Huni has also confirmed a seriously injured left bicep meant he was unable to spar, or even do pad work, for two full weeks before the fight. During the fight itself, Huni also spoke of his left arm going “dead” during exchanges, forcing emergency footwork changes as he tried to avoid being hit while shaking said limb back into action.

In fact, Huni says his final fortnight of preparation involved nothing more than “cryotherapy and shadow boxing” due to an injury he hasn’t spoken about publicly in the four months since.

The loss represented the type of sliding doors moment that now sees the Australian readying to regroup in December – fighting a Gold Coast rematch against New Zealand’s tough Kiki Leutele – while Wardley sits one win from undisputed division king Oleksandr Usyk.

Yet given his efforts against the Englishman last start, who was being completely outclassed before finding that now infamous KO, Huni is confident of eventually climbing his way to the top of heavyweight division – while also tipping a big win for Parker.

“Should be a win for Parker, easy,” the 26-year-old said of Sunday’s title showdown.

“Having been in the ring with Wardley, he obviously has punching power.

“But in terms of being a boxer, he didn’t really offer anything.

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Joseph Parker (L) and Fabio Wardley (R) face off as Frank Warren, Founder of Queensbury Promotions (C), looks on following the ‘All or Nothing’ press conference ahead of their Heavyweight fight at Studio 338 on October 23, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“So if Parker does what I did, puts Fabio on the backfoot, it should be a walk in the park for him.

“During my own fight with Wardley, there were stages where it didn’t even feel like I was in a major fight.

“For five weeks, I’d been preparing for somebody who was going to have me on the backfoot the whole time.

“But then in the fight, it was the complete opposite.

“I remember being in the ring thinking ‘f*** this feels too easy, it shouldn’t feel like this’.

“And look, good on Fabio.

“He caught me.

“That’s what heavyweight boxing is.

“So no excuses.

“But that’s also why I think Parker will have way too much skill.

“[Laughs] Obviously he does have to watch out for that one punch, though.

“Because in heavyweight boxing, one is all it takes.”

Elsewhere, Huni joked he was also hoping Parker also finished the man who finished him.

“Because I’m sick of watching Fabio knock me out over and over,” the Brisbane tough laughed.

“To promote this fight they’ve continually shown that finish of me which is starting to get a little annoying.

“And why I do want Parker to knock him out.

“At least that way there can be two of us on the knockout reel.”

Incredibly, had Huni survived just three more rounds against Wardley in June, it would likely be him now throwing down in a fight to determine who faces Usyk next up for all four heavyweight straps.

And had he not been forced to fight Wardley on fight weeks’ notice, and with one arm, maybe he would be.

Justis Huni in action against Fabio Wardley in their June bout. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Regardless, Huni is still reluctant to reveal too much detail about the first loss of his professional career, and even when pushed, stresses that Wardley was simply the better man on the night.

Yet those closest to Huni have suggested the Brisbane slugger battled right throughout camp with a muscle growth in his left bicep that was compacting the nerves in three different places.

It meant whenever the Aussie tried to throw the left hand, his arm would go numb, forcing him to continually drop said limb down by his side to get feeling back.

So concerned were his team that they hastily tried to make defensive adjustments late in camp so that when the arm did go dead, Huni could use footwork to avoid being hit as his arm went down.

While reluctant to relive it, Huni did confirm reports from both his manager Mick Francis and promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting he didn’t spar for a fortnight before the fight.

“My warm up on fight night was the first pad work I’d done in two weeks,” he shrugs. “I basically did only cryotherapy and shadow boxing, that’s it.

“But look, I took the fight.

“That’s why it doesn’t matter how long my camp was, or if my arm felt like a dead weight or whatever.

“And it’s why I haven’t spoken about it.

“I don’t ever want to be that guy who loses and starts talking about injury. Starts saying ‘oh, I couldn’t do this or that’.

Parker vs Wardley | Sunday 26 Oct from 4:30am AEDT – estimated main event ring walk time 8:30am AEDT | A classic heavyweight showdown takes place at the 02 Arena in London, as NZ’s Joseph Parker takes on Fabio Wardley | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

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“All I could do in that fight was give things my best effort – and I did.”

Any regrets about taking the fight?

“Nah, no regrets,” Huni said, stressing he is also now back to 100 percent fitness. “If anything, I’m proud of myself for taking that fight.

“And honestly, my stocks went up.

“I got my name out there and got myself a good payday.

“I’ve watched the finish back and maybe I got careless.

“At that point in the fight, I didn’t have to engage.

“We’re in the 10th, three rounds to go and I’m winning comfortably.

“But then he got a lucky one from nowhere.

“Again, that’s heavyweight boxing.

“Still, a lot of people were messaging me afterwards saying how well I was doing, how I was embarrassing Wardley.

“Then even after the fight we went out in London and, as I walking around, people were recognising me.

“So no regrets.

“I wanted to get my name out there in that fight, and I did.

“We also applied for a rematch and they turned us down.

“There’s nothing you can do about it.

“I just start working my way back up again in December.”