Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley are on course for a heavyweight showdown on October 25 at the O2 Arena in London, according to reports from The Ring. The Queensberry Promotions event will see two interim belt-holders collide, with both men eager to stay active while the division waits on Oleksandr Usyk’s situation.
Parker, the WBO interim champion, was expected to face Usyk next but uncertainty over the undisputed champion’s reported back injury - and subsequent investigation by the WBO after Usyk was seen dancing in a social media video - has pushed the New Zealander to seek other options. Parker, 33, has boxed just twice in the past 16 months: a decision win over Zhilei Zhang and a two-round demolition of Martin Bakole in February.
Wardley, who holds the WBA interim strap, comes in with momentum after stopping Justis Huni in dramatic fashion this summer. Though outboxed for much of the fight, the 30-year-old Brit turned it around with a huge right hand in the 10th. Last October, he also made a statement by blasting out Frazer Clarke in the opening round.
The matchup pits Parker’s proven world-level pedigree against Wardley’s raw power and rising profile. With Usyk sidelined, the O2 battle will give fans a high-stakes interim collision - and perhaps position the winner as the leading challenger when the heavyweight titles untangle.
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