FABIO WARDLEY still wonโt be drawn on any names for his next fight but there is one man who will always be a potential opponent for as long as he carries on with his career.
Wardley produced one of the most sensational finishes of the year with his first-round win over Frazer Clarke last weekend. Such was the damage inflicted, Clarke needed to go to hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair his jaw and cheekbone.
The winner retained his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles but also announced his intentions to move on from domestic level. In 2025, Wardley will look to make a major move at world level, which he hopes will lead to an eventual world heavyweight title shot.
โWho I want is an interesting question because honestly I donโt know,โ Wardley told Boxing News.
โItโs not about oh I want to fight you, itโs about whoโs going to set me up to be in the best position.
โWe know with the big fight thatโs happening at the end of the year, we know post-that about how the belts are going to fragment and [then] setting yourself up for world title eliminators and being in the right position. So, itโs not necessarily about the person itโs about whoโs in the right position for me to beat and then put myself in their place where Iโm next in line to fight for the world title.โ
The unbeaten 29-year-old could find himself sharing the ring with Derek Chisora in 2025. Chisora continues to defy the doubters, and despite being 40 years old, his career is continuing. With Wardley using the word โWarโ as a brief nickname on Saturday and Chisora already carrying the moniker, who’s to say the veteran heavyweight wonโt take umbrage at someone else stealing his idea?
โI am still waiting for some sort of call, FaceTime or anything from Derek to say look mate you donโt steal my name alright,โ Wardley said.
โI havenโt spoken to him. Funnily enough I did after the show. I did an interview with Delicious TV which is his thing but he wasnโt the one doing it, it was his other guy. But that would be an interesting one. I think heโs got a fight coming up sometime soon which Frank [Warren] hinted at the other day.
โBut maybe his last one to either take the name War to the boxing grave with him or I take it and itโs mine to carry on. We fight out for the name maybe. Itโd be an interesting storyline to put together.โ