After being named WBO world champion following Oleksandr Usyk’s refusal to face him immediately, British heavyweight Fabio Wardley is now looking around for his first challenger. Inevitably, among the most talked-about possibilities are an all-British clash with fellow countrymen Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora, and Tyson Fury. Wardley does not rule out facing the Gypsy King in 2026 and is convinced he would win that fight by knockout.
This was Wardley’s answer to BoxingScene journalist Tom Ivers, who asked him how a fight between himself and Fury would end:
“Same as all the other fights, I’m knocking him out. I might have to absorb a few punches, maybe be down a few rounds, things like that. But come the – what? – 10th, 11th, maybe I’ll save it for the 12th. I’ve done 10th, 11th, so maybe I’ll save it for the 12th this time and then pull it out of the bag.”
The world champion therefore appears extremely confident in himself and in his power, a truly outstanding quality that has allowed him to win inside the distance in his last two fights despite being behind on the scorecards.
In June of last year, Wardley was taking heavy punishment against Australia’s Justis Huni before detonating a devastating right hand in the tenth round. In October, New Zealander Joseph Parker met a similar fate, overwhelmed in the eleventh round by Wardley’s lethal combinations while he was ahead on two of the three official scorecards.
Tyson Fury, for his part, has not fought since December 2024, the date of his second consecutive defeat to Ukrainian superstar Oleksandr Usyk. Following that loss, the Gypsy King once again announced his retirement from boxing, only to backtrack, as has often been the case.
It seems unlikely that after such a long layoff Fury would return directly against the current WBO heavyweight champion. Before facing Wardley, he will almost certainly take a softer comeback fight, and several possible opponents are already being mentioned, most notably the gigantic Russian puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Will the Gypsy King, who turned 37 in August, manage to reclaim a world title? All that remains is to wait and see.