John Fury has been assessing how Fabio Wardley would get on were he to fight Oleksandr Usyk any time soon.
Wardley has catapulted himself into the picture for a world title shot after another impressive knockout performance this past weekend.
He was fighting the well-ranked Joseph Parker, a notoriously solid all-rounder with good defence, technical ability and power that has seen him knock out the likes of Martin Bakole.
However, Wardley weathered the storm and although he was behind on points come the 11th round, he pulled out a big finish and forced the referee to stop the fight. The win means he is now the mandatory for Usyk’s WBO world title.
Speaking to Boxing King Media, ‘Big John’ suggested it was too soon for Wardley to fight the pound-for-pound king.
“Well, if I was managing Fabio, no, because there is levels to the game and he’s not there yet. Usyk is a tricky operator, ton of experience. You’re looking at a kid here’s who’s had no amateur fights. Eight white collar fights. And you can’t make the transition from that to that.
“Don’t get me wrong, if he hit Usyk he’d tip him upside down. But what I’d do is get him another four or five wins, let him fight good men, and let him go when he’s ready. Get the timing right with Usyk. Usyk can’t last forever. He’s 38 now.
“If they pick the moment, they could see him the heavyweight champion of the world, Fabio Wardley from Ipswich, and well deserved. He’s capable of doing it, not just yet, though.”
Soon after the fight, Wardley was making a plea for Usyk to honour the fight. If he doesn’t, he could be stripped and Wardley could be elevated to champion.