Fabio Wardley returned world title for alteration after spotting hilarious mishap

When Fabio Wardley received his WBO heavyweight title, something was amiss.

The belt looked as it should at a glance: a pristine burgundy and gold strap with the words ‘World Champion’ emblazoned across the top of the WBO logo.

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Wardley proudly paraded his new hardware around his gym until he cast his gaze to the left-hand side medallion.

Engraved on a golden plaque underneath his name was a nickname he never knew he bore, ‘The White Rhino’.

Of course, this is the famous moniker of fellow British heavyweight Dave Allen.

And while the error may have offended a pugilist with a larger ego, Wardley saw the funny side of the situation.

“I opened it. Look at it. Nice; shiny; cool,” Wardley told a group of reporters earlier this week.

“And then it’s obviously got the medallions on either side.

“For some reason, one says the date I won it, but the other one says ‘Fabio Wardley, The White Rhino’. 

“And I was like, what the f*** is going on here then? Because it took me a little while as well. I held it.

“I was looking at it for a bit. I was like ‘Oh, yeah, that’s cool’. Showing it to my coach and whatever.

“And then I looked at it again, and I thought, what the f***? White Rhino?

“I thought ‘Who the… What is… Dave Allen hasn’t won this title’.

“I think my only deduction is they got somewhere along the lines of ‘White Collar Wardley’.

“It’s not even my nickname, so I don’t even know why they stuck it on there in the first place. I’ve done it to myself. So yeah, I think that’s what happened.

“But they sent me a fresh one. Re-did it. I’ve checked it. All alright. No more Dave Allen. So yeah, all good.

“They said sorry and whatever else. What’s there to cry about? It is what it is. People be people. 

“Human error. Whatever else. I’m not going to kick up a fuss and start having a go. There’s only a little laugh in it. No one’s hurt. It’s alright. 

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“I’ve got my new one. It says Fabio Wardley. I haven’t got a nickname, so it doesn’t have anything on there which has the date on the other side.”

How did Fabio Wardley win the WBO heavyweight title?

Wardley picked up the interim WBO heavyweight title with a stunning stoppage win over Joseph Parker last October.

He was subsequently elevated to full world champion in November 2025 when Oleksandr Usyk opted to relinquish the belt rather than defend it against Wardley.

The Ipswich puncher is set to make the first defence of his strap in an all-British showdown against Daniel Dubois on May 9 at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.

Providing he comes out of the fight unscathed, a dust-up with Tyson Fury awaits.