Parker and Wardley ready for ‘all or nothing’ rumble with shot at Usyk on the line

Boxing is in a real slump this year, with few major fights and far less compelling bouts than usual, and so the prospect of a serious and intriguing heavyweight contest between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at the O₂ Arena brings a measure of relief to the beleaguered business. The winner will almost certainly face Oleksandr Usyk, the world champion, next year. In contrast, the loser is likely to lament the inevitable erosion of the hard-won plaudits he had gained.

Danger and risk surround this clash. Parker is on a hot streak since his last defeat, to Joe Joyce, three years ago. The New Zealand veteran, who won the WBO world title in 2016, has been rejuvenated by his switch of trainers to the inspirational Andy Lee. He has won six fights in a row, earning particular acclaim for the poised way in which he crushed Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole.

Wardley has steadily built his unbeaten record over 20 bouts, while displaying astonishing power against Frazer Clarke in a rematch last year and, this summer, when he knocked out Justin Huni with one chilling punch. But Clarke took Wardley to hell and back when their brutal first fight ended in a draw – and Huni had an unassailable lead on all three scorecards before he was pole-axed in the 10th round.

The low-key appeal of both men is enhanced by the fact that they now stand on the verge of a world title shot. Yet both are vulnerable. This is Parker’s 40th fight and, apart from three losses, he has been dropped multiple times by different opponents. He always gets up but Wardley hits harder than anyone he has faced – with the exception of Wilder who looked a shell of a knockout artist when Parker swept to a one-sided points victory in December 2023.

Wardley, a former white-collar slugger who only started boxing when he was 20, had no amateur experience and has always had to overcome doubts about his comparatively limited skills. But he is also on the verge of a world title challenge.

Frank Warren, the promoter, believes “this is the most significant fight, at the moment, in the heavyweight division. These two guys have stepped up when neither of them needed to make this fight. Joe Parker is the WBO interim champion and they have already ordered Usyk to fight him, but [the Ukrainian] was injured. Joseph wants to fight anyway.

“Fabio is also in a fantastic position and he only had to wait for his time. He said ‘No.’ He wanted to fight – and against Parker because it gives him a chance to jump the queue.”

Parker, who turns 34 in January, said: “This is all or nothing. I am not thinking about losing. I respect my opponent and what he has done and how he has prepared for this fight. But I am on a different level and I am going to show it on Saturday.”

Wardley will be 31 in December and he said: “It is a massive night for the pair of us. It is obviously the biggest fight of my career and the biggest fight of my life. But every time I step up I rise to the occasion. Saturday will be no different. The separation between where Joe is and where people think I am has been a common theme throughout my career.

“He has been going around the block for a long time, with a lot of fights on his record. By no means is he an old man but he has been in the sport for a long time and had some heavy fights. I’ve been in a few wars myself and I know they put miles on the clock. He has been in a lot more of those than me.”

But the suspicion remains that Parker will be too seasoned, and too skilful, for Wardley. He should win a bruising battle with the conviction that he is next in line for Usyk – still the world’s best heavyweight by a comfortable distance.