Frank Warren told The Stomping Ground he’s ready to make a Fabio Wardley vs Anthony Joshua fight immediately, saying he’d “sign it tomorrow” and even visit Joshua’s house on Christmas Day to seal it. Warren argued that Joshua doesn’t need more tune-ups to earn a title shot, calling Wardley—a newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion—an ideal opponent. He added that if Joshua truly wants a world title, he should fight Wardley now instead of waiting on Tyson Fury. Warren also jabbed that Joshua should avoid punchers if he wants the Fury fight to still exist.
Joshua’s running on reflections now. He doesn’t take fights. He manages risks. The Dubois loss stripped the mystery, left only doubts and muscle memory. Since then, one safe fight at a time. Jake Paul was a pay-per-view holiday, not a fight. The chin still twitches when a jab lands wrong, and the feet still square up when pressure builds. Everyone sees it. No one says it because Joshua’s brand still pays too many bills.
Wardley? Entirely different animal. Doesn’t pose, doesn’t preload combinations. He moves like someone who learned on real pressure, not drills. Punches live. Everything short, spiteful, economical. The kind of rhythm that breaks balance rather than bounces around a game plan. Joshua’s been studying “control” since Ruiz pasted him — but against a pressure man who doesn’t respect your structure, that kind of discipline turns rigid.
Wardley Isn’t Playing Safe
Wardley doesn’t need to “build.” He just walks through whoever’s offered. Parker gave him hell for ten rounds, and he still closed him. Adeleye fought brave, got folded. That tells the story. Wardley’s durability buys him risk tolerance. He’ll walk through early sharpness just to test what’s left underneath. Against that, Joshua’s jab and measured tempo look like a man trying to hold water in cupped hands. No leaks allowed — but with Wardley stalking, the leaks come quick.
Joshua’s corner will sell it differently. “We want Fury.” “We want legacy.” Translation: we want money with minimal trauma. Wardley offers the opposite. The Saudis see that too — they don’t invest in threats that don’t fit the script. Turki’s interest lies in prestige fights, not ones that might end with their prize name on the floor again.
The Saudi Mirage
If Joshua takes Wardley, it’s a strip-search of what remains. No optics. No excuses. Just one man reacting to doubt in real time. His jab still tidy, his uppercut still lovely, but his exit routes? Wooden. Wardley turns exits into traps. One looped right and that’s career over talk.
Lose to Wardley and Joshua’s not coming back. No “next chapter.” No Saudi call-back.
Thomas Hull is a boxing writer covering news, gossip and results since 2014.
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Boxing News 24 » Anthony Joshua Yet to Respond to Fabio Wardley Offer
Last Updated on 12/25/2025