NUMBER one-ranked contender Fabio Wardley is determined to keep himself in the shop window for a potential world heavyweight title shot.
A meteoric rise in the professional ranks has seen the former white-collar fighter evolve from a raw novice into one of his division’s most prolific knockout artists.
After ending all but one of his previous 17 outings inside the distance, Wardley, 18-0-1 (17 KOs), secured a typically destructive seventh-round stoppage victory over David Adeleye back in 2023.
In doing so, the Ipswich man not only defended his British title but also catapulted himself into a thrilling domestic dustup against Frazer Clarke, exchanging heavy artillery with the Olympic bronze medallist through 12 enthralling rounds.
Their rematch, however, saw a far more emphatic display from Wardley who, after boxing to a draw in their first encounter, produced a devastating first-round finish last October.
In turn, the 30-year-old earned himself a number one ranking with the WBA, while bona fide heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, 23-0 (14 KOs), still holds the sanctioning body’s full title.
At the same time, Kubrat Pulev has cemented himself, for whatever it is worth, as the WBA ‘regular’ titlist, representing a possible opponent for Wardley’s next outing.
Knowing that Usyk remains the legitimate world champion, though, the Brit looks to plot his immediate future based on whether the Ukrainian chooses to relinquish his black and gold strap.
“We’re waiting to see what Usyk does,” Wardley told Boxing News’ Andi Purewal.
“There’s a number [of opponents] we’re playing around with, mostly within that WBA region.
“I want to stay in that number one spot because, if the belts do fragment, or mandatories are called, I want to be in that pole position.”
Regardless of how long it takes for a vacant belt to emerge, Wardley has insisted that he expects to return to the ring around May time.
