Fabio Wardley introduced himself on the world stage on Saturday evening on the O2 Enviornment.
The Ipswich puncher stopped Joseph Parker in opposition to the ropes within the eleventh spherical of a brutal battle of attrition that will likely be talked about for years to return.
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In victory, he turns into the brand new WBO interim heavyweight champion, lining him up for an inevitable conflict with undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
Chatting with talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver within the fast aftermath of his gorgeous victory, Wardley stated: “That was one thing particular.
“I stated to everybody within the build-up that there was going to be drama and that it was going to be thrilling.
“And I delivered on that half. I won’t have all the gorgeous boxing expertise, however I’ve every thing else that it takes to be a champion, and I proved that tonight.
“All credit score to Joseph Parker and his group for having the balls to take this combat, however that is Fabio Wardley’s evening.
“There’s a lot that comes into profitable fights; it isn’t all about having a reasonably jab.
“You’ve got to have guts, will and willpower, and I’ve that.
“There’s nothing I would like extra now [than Usyk]. All of the belts, all of the marbles, let’s go!”
The story of the combat
The bout bought off to an electrical begin as each males threw hell to the wind.
Within the ultimate 10 seconds of the opening stanza, Parker landed a clubbing proper hand that appeared to stun Wardley with seconds left within the spherical.
The bell got here to Wardley’s rescue, however Parker was again on his chest early within the second, eager to not give an inch.
As he marched ahead like a person possessed, Wardley walked the 33-year-old onto a crisp left hook that had him in every kind of bother.
The defending champion used all of his veteran instincts to journey out the spherical, however he was rapidly dragged again into deep waters.
Massive proper arms have been shipped by each males within the third, and within the fourth, there was an exciting alternate in opposition to the ropes.
In some way, someway, the heavyweight titans stayed standing as sweat beads flew off their sturdy domes.
On the midway mark, it felt as if the scorecards may very well be cut up at three apiece.
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Wardley seemed to stamp his authority on the combat as he charged ahead and detonated a dynamite proper hand.
However Parker immediately returned the favour as he backed up his adversary in opposition to the ropes with heavy leather-based.
The tempo started to gradual ever so barely within the eighth body, benefitting the Kiwi, who started to set traps together with his feints.
A leaping left hook buckled Wardley’s knees in spherical 9, and the identical shot stopped him in his tracks within the tenth.
However simply because it appeared Parker was getting on high of the motion, a booming proper hand snapped again the travelling fighter’s head in spherical 11.
Sensing his second, Wardley poured the stress, because the referee stepped in and waved off the competition in opposition to the ropes.