A DELECTABLE heavyweight encounter between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley has just been announced, with the pair headlining a Queensberry Promotions card next month.
Their fight, which has been rumoured on social media for quite some time, will indeed unfold at the O2 Arena, London, on October 25.
Entering their clash as the WBO ‘interim’ champion, Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs), finds himself on a scintillating run of form following his three victories over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole.
The most recent of which saw him engineer a blistering second-round finish, albeit against an ill-prepared, and somewhat out of shape, Bakole.
But still, the New Zealander has nonetheless established himself as the leading contender for Oleksandr Usyk, whose ring return, at this stage, remains up in the air.
As he awaits a potential world title shot, though, Parker is not only eager to extend his activity, but also roll the dice against a proven knockout artist.
Wardley, 19-0-1 (18 KOs), in that sense, represents a particularly dangerous opponent, especially when considering the manner in which he halted Justis Huni in June.
Back then, the 30-year-old found himself on the receiving end of a comprehensive boxing lesson, only to then clinch victory from the jaws of defeat with a stunning 10th-round finish.
In doing so, Wardley successfully claimed the WBA ‘interim’ title, though it would appear that Parker’s secondary belt is what will be on the line for their showdown.
Elsewhere on the card, a British and Commonwealth title offering between Lewis Edmondson and Ezra Taylor – a light-heavyweight contest that arrives with no small amount of bad blood – should also be confirmed soon enough.
Further undercard announcements, meanwhile, are expected to arrive before long, revealing that Denzel Bentley will face Endry Saavedra in a final eliminator for the WBO world middleweight title, while Royston Barney-Smith enters a rescheduled assignment against fellow unbeaten super-featherweight Danny Quartermaine.
