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League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Fabio Wardley celebrates victory following the WBO heavyweight championship bout against Joseph Parker (not pictured) Steven Paston/PA Fabio Wardley stuns Joseph Parker to set up potential Oleksandr Usyk bout Wardley stopped his opponent in a dramatic 11th round. 12.14am, 26 Oct 2025 Share options BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT FABIO Wardley pulled off the biggest win of his career with an enormous upset over Joseph Parker to set up a world title shot against Oleksandr Usyk. In a pulsating contest at the O2 Arena, Wardley showed he has one of the toughest chins in the sport as he swallowed several huge punches from Parker before forcing referee Howard Foster to stop the bout in an explosive 11th round. Advertisement The WBO had ordered the experienced Parker — who trains under Andy Lee in Dublin — to face undisputed world heavyweight champion Usyk in July, but the New Zealander put his mandatory challenger status on the line against Wardley, who was still involved in white-collar boxing when his opponent was world champion in 2016. Wardley, left, rocks Parker.Steven Paston / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Steven Paston / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Parker promised to be a “different level” to the 30-year-old and that appeared the case for much of the bout in London. Wardley seemed to have missed out on the chance to stop the bout in a back-and-forth second round and it appeared a sliding doors moment for the Ipswich right-hander. Yet, after Parker could not get his rival out, Wardley roared back with a huge right to wobble the New Zealand in the 11th and a flurry of further punches forced a dramatic stoppage to continue his fairytale story in the sport. Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Fabio Wardley stuns Joseph Parker to set up potential Oleksandr Usyk bout”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Fabio Wardley stuns Joseph Parker to set up potential Oleksandr Usyk bout”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. 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