A win for the Kiwi fighter will most likely earn him a crack at Oleksandr Usyk, but Parker is solely focused on scoring a statement win over Fabio Wardley
Joseph Parker has shut down any talks of fighting Oleksandr Usyk for now and has vowed to ‘smash’ Fabio Wardley ahead of their heavyweight dust-up.
The 33-year-old Kiwi star will make his highly-anticipated return to the ring on Saturday night against the dangerous and surging Wardley. It has been a tough year for Parker so far. The former world champion was due to take on Daniel Dubois for the Brit’s world title back in February, but ‘Triple D’ pulled out just 48 hours before the first bell.
Parker went on to make a real statement after knocking out Martin Bakole on short notice. He then looked set to face Usyk in the ring, but the Ukrainian brutally snubbed the Kiwi in favour of a showdown with Dubois. Usyk eventually scored a destructive knockout over the Brit in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Usyk, 38, was ordered to defend his titles against Parker, but requested a delay, claiming he was injured despite videos emerging of him dancing at a concert. The Ukrainian star was granted an extension following an investigation, but must face the winner of Saturday night’s clash. Ahead of the mouthwatering showcase at the O2 in London, the Kiwi admits it is all or nothing.
“For me this is all or nothing. I’m not thinking about losing this fight. Once I win it I’ll move on to thinking about my next fight. I respect my opponent, but I’m on a different level,” Parker said at the pre-fight press conference. While Wardley is brimming with confidence, the Brit’s upcoming rival has sent the undefeated sensation a chilling warning ahead of the first bell.
“I’ve got many miles on the clock, but many more to come. I’m in my prime. Fabio has picked the wrong time to fight me – I’m going to smash him,” said the Kiwi fighter. As for his adversary, Wardley is relishing the challenge on fight night. “The separation between levels, and where Joe is, and where I am, it has been a common theme throughout my career. It’s always this is a step too far, until I win. For me it’s nothing new. I relish the challenge,” he said.
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Wardley has not been seen since his stunning come-from-behind knockout victory over Justis Huni back in June. Prior to his successful Ipswich homecoming, the Brit rendered fellow countryman Frazer Clarke with a stinging right hand last October. Despite being known for his knockout power, Wardley believes there is more to his game.
“Everybody focuses on my power, knocking out opponents – it draws away from my boxing ability,” he said. “It takes more than a bit of muscles to knock someone out. Just because my record is littered with highlight reel knockouts, it distracts people from my boxing IQ.”
He added: “Look, in terms of too many (fights for Parker) that’s not for me. He’s been around a long time, had some heavy fights. I’ve been in a few wars myself and I know they put miles on the clock. There’s two sides to the coin.” Wardley, 30, will be looking for the home crowd to rally him on, admitting that the O2 “is home away from home” for him.
With so much on the line this weekend, Parker has refused to be drawn into talks of Usyk. “I just want to go out and do my job on the weekend. I don’t care about who is next, I care about this guy in front of me.” That said, promoter Frank Warren insists Saturday night’s winner will get their shot at the two-division undisputed champion. “The winner gets to fight Mr Usyk,” he said. “He gets to fight him for the WBO belt and the other three belts. And Mr Usyk has said that he will take that fight early next year. So that is the prize. It is all or nothing for the winner.”
When is Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley?
Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley are set to face off on Saturday, October 25 at the O2 Arena in London. The main card is anticipated to start around 5pm BST (12pm ET / 9am PT / 11am CT). In the main event, it’s likely that Wardley will make his entrance first at 10pm BST (5pm ET / 2pm PT / 4pm CT), with Parker following immediately after.
The entire event will be broadcast live on DAZN for a fee of £24.99. This popular streaming platform can be added as an extra subscription on televisions. It can also be streamed live on the official website or via the downloadable app. A DAZN subscription costs £119.99 annually or £14.99 per month, or £24.99 on a flexible plan that can be cancelled at any time.