Fabio Wardley will take on Joseph Parker in London next month as he looks to set up a world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk
Fabio Wardley has admitted sleepless nights and dirty nappies were a welcome break from being punched in the face.
Wardley’s partner Charlotte gave birth to their baby daughter just a week after the 30-year-old recorded the biggest win of his career this summer. Ipswich fan Wardley was being comfortably outboxed by Justis Huni at Portman Road in June before he flattened the Aussie in the 10th round.
His reward is a clash with Joseph Parker in London on October 25; a fight which will see the winner either face Oleksandr Usyk for all four world titles, or be crowned champion by default if the Ukrainian later decides to relinquish his WBO strap. And Wardley has returned to training knowing he has an extra mouth to fight for from now on.
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“Life has changed a little bit!” he laughed. “I’ve had a few sleepless nights but me and the missus are doing well. It’s fantastic, it’s a great thing and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It was a nice little break; from having that massive night at Portman Road and then a week later my first child, my daughter, being born and having eight or nine weeks of being a solid dad and not bothering about anything else in the world.
“Being away for training camps is something I’ve had to contend with all the way through my career but my partner is very understanding. And coming home to the little one is a relief and a way to shut my brain down and take it away from things after a long day of training, so it’s working out well.
“There’s definitely more on the table now, more jeopardy and more risk but also more reward. I was always hugely ambitious and I was always putting my maximum out but this has added another level.”
Parker became world champion in 2016 but his reign lasted just 15 months before he was beaten by Anthony Joshua. The Kiwi has won six fights in a row since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022 – and Wardley admits he will be taking a leap next month.
“I have a huge amount of respect for Parker and what he has achieved in his career,” he added. “This is a big step up but I haven’t taken a step back in my career. Since I’ve been picking up titles, each opponent has been better than the last for one reason or another.
“I’ve always been moving forward, maybe this is a slightly bigger jump than the rest but I have full belief I will come through and get the win. We both like a bit of a scrap and getting stuck in so it’s highly unlikely this fight goes the distance.”