‘I told everyone I wasn’t losing’ – Wardley on huge win against Parker<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n It’s an extraordinary match-up between an unbeaten all-time great of the sport and a unheralded Suffolk slugger who turned pro with no amateur experience, having only started boxing ten years ago.\n<\/p>\n
\n ![]()
Oleksandr Usyk holds all four heavyweight belts and is one of the greatest fighters of all time (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n
\n And Warren insisted he’ll make the Usyk fight for his star man. “He\u2019s said he wants to do it, so that\u2019s what it will be!” he enthused after last night’s fight.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Seriously, he is so right with what he says \u2013 it\u2019s a 36-minute fight, but it only takes one second for him.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cAnd he does it time and time again. We were behind in the fight again, but honestly, I sit there in amazement.\n<\/p>\n
\n “He\u2019s somebody with zero amateur experience, 20 fights, fighting a former world champion and a guy who\u2019s just beaten three or four guys in the top ten and done it in style.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cEveryone in Ipswich should absolutely be so proud of him, as we all are in the UK.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThat was a phenomenal performance, he\u2019s something special. And you know what, two lovely guys and two great professionals.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cBut what a fight, that was edge of your seat stuff, all the way through. Both of them gave everything they had.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cAnd this man here, my God, I take my hat off to him. It\u2019s a story I\u2019ve never seen in boxing before.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n ![]()
Frank Warren and Fabio Wardley meet the media after last night’s fight (Image: Leigh Dawney\/Queensberry)\n<\/p>\n
\n Put to Warren that the Usyk fight should be in a stadium next summer – although too big for Portman Road – he agreed.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThat\u2019s what it is,” Warren confirmed. “Let me tell you, it\u2019s really simple. Oleksandr is a great champion and he\u2019s said he wants to fight, he doesn\u2019t want to vacate the belt.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFabio Wardley\u2019s next fight will be for the four belts \u2013 not one belt, four belts.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHe\u2019s the WBO interim champion, and his next fight is what he deserves for a performance like that \u2013 unbelievable. Ballsy, brave, unbelievable performance.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe\u2019re all proud of him.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n ![]()
Fabio Wardley clips Joseph Parker with a big left hook (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n
\n A fight against Usyk for all four major belts would have been an absurd suggestion just a matter of months ago.\n<\/p>\n
\n But now, that is the reality for the humble Suffolk star with bricks for fists.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cYou\u2019re laughing, I\u2019m laughing \u2013 it sounds like a dream, a fairytale,” Wardley said of the match-up with Usyk.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cBut this is real life. I\u2019m proof that with hard work, commitment, love of the sport, dedication, that you can make it in this sport.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to give yourself to it, but boxing will give you everything and more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wardley (20-01, 19KO) once again upset the odds to stop ex-world champion in the 11th round of an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227069,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-227068","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}