On Saturday, October 25, live on DAZN PPV, Wardley will face WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in a contest which pits together two of the division’s most inform fighters.

After producing one of the knockouts of the year against Justis Huni, Wardley, with a version of the WBA title around his waist, inserted himself into the minds of British boxing fans as a man to get behind.

However, this could have all come crashing down when he faced the Australian at Portman Road, the home of his beloved Ipswich Town Football Club. As the rain came down in East Anglia, Wardley was being taken to school by an opponent who had the superior boxing ability.

Huni was cruising, making Wardley look naïve on what was supposed to be his big night with frustration from those closest to him at ringside. Then, a moment of genius in round 10. With just under 90 seconds remaining, Wardley unleashed a devastating right hand, leaving Huni in a heap on the ring canvas and unable to continue.

This moment of madness was not only Wardley’s biggest win to date, but also a vital experience if he wants to reach the boxing zenith.

The likes of Huni, Frazer Clarke and David Adeleye who have all fallen victim to Wardley’s punching power, are a level below former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. The New Zealander in his career resurgence with trainer Andy Lee has proven that he can mix it up with the big punchers.

Three successive wins against Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole are perfect examples of Parker showing no fear, and with a new sense of confidence, he will be the favourite going into the contest with an opponent whose boxing journey began on the white-collar circuit.

However, Wardley is more than ready to make the step up. With trainer Ben Davison in his corner, a man who is known to dissect every second of his charge’s previous fights, improvements will be made so Wardley does not find himself being dominated by Parker.

Wardley’s calm and composed character also makes him a more than worthy candidate to trouble and possibly beat Parker.

For someone who has 18 knockouts on his professional record, it would be easy to get carried away and be a loudmouth, but Wardley is the opposite. The 30-year-old speaks with measured confidence and never lets the occasion get the better of him.

It may not just be interim titles that could be at stake when Parker and Wardley meet in the ring in England’s capital, however.

With uncertainty surrounding the undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and when he is expected to fight next, there is a chance his WBO title could be vacated meaning Parker-Wardley could be upgraded to a world title fight.

After having to go that extra mile to make himself a heavyweight star courtesy of his rise through the white-collar scene, an unorthodox route to the professional ranks, it will be some year for Wardley who has the tools to make his boxing dreams a reality.

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