A frantic overnight negotiation has vaulted unbeaten Brisbane heavyweight Justis Huni into a high‑stakes UK headline. Promoters Matchroom and Duco Boxing confirmed that Huni will step in for the shoulder‑injured Jarrell Miller and fight Ipswich hero Fabio Wardley at Portman Road football stadium for the WBA’s interim belt.
The switch was triggered when Jarrell Miller withdrew on medical advice mid‑week. Huni, already No. 1 with the WBO after three consecutive second‑round stoppages, accepted within hours. Manager Michael Francis says the winner is pencilled to meet the victor of Michael Hunter‑Kubrat Pulev - scheduled for Riyadh later this year - for sole mandatory status, potentially setting up an undisputed shot against the July 19 Usyk‑Dubois winner. “Two wins and Justis is at boxing’s summit,” Francis said.
Wardley, 30, was training for Miller’s 150‑kilo pressure style but now faces a far more mobile 110‑kilo opponent who mixes amateur footwork with sharp combinations. “This is exactly the fight where you’ll see the best of Huni,” said British promoter Eddie Hearn. For Wardley - unbeaten, explosive yet largely untested at world fringe level - the bout doubles as a home‑town coming‑out party: “Portman Road will be rocking; interim belt or not, this is world‑level.”
Fight card:
▪️Fabio Wardley vs. Justis Huni, 12 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Sam Gilley vs. Louis Greene, 12 rounds, for the vacant BBBofC British and Commonwealth super welterweight titles
▪️Pierce O'Leary vs. TBA, 12 rounds, for the vacant EBU European super lightweight title
▪️Mike Perez vs. Steven Ward, 10 rounds, cruiserweight
▪️Umar Khan vs. TBA, 8 rounds, featherweight
▪️Lewis Richardson vs. TBA, 6 rounds, middleweight
▪️Lillie Winch vs. TBA, 6 rounds x 2 minutes, featherweight
▪️Billy Adams vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Jack Williams vs. TBA, 4 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Christian Bozzia vs. TBA, 4 rounds, featherweight
▪️Keano White vs. TBA, 4 rounds, super lightweight
