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Fabio Wardley booked his heavyweight title shot by stunning Joseph Parker in a modern-day heavyweight classic on Saturday night. The Brit was behind on the scorecards heading into the 11th round but piled on the pressure to force a stoppage, and he is now in line to face undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk next. Wardley’s team have already started talking up their man’s chances, as his manager, Michael Ofo, claimed in an interview with The Ring that Usyk has been in several “tough fights” and is “getting older”. So, are they right? Could Wardley be catching Usyk at just the right time to pull off another huge upset? Usyk has all won all 24 of his professional bouts after switching over from the amateur ranks following his Olympic triumph in 2012. But he has not had things all his own way. His first big test came in his 14th contest when he travelled over to Latvia to face Mairis Briedis in the cruiserweight semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series. Briedis was unbeaten at the time and gave as good as he got for long periods in the fight. Usyk had to dig deep in the championship rounds to edge a majority decision and progress through to the final. His final two fights at cruiserweight were more straightforward as he completely outboxed Murat Gassiev in the final to win the tournament and then knocked out Tony Bellew inside eight rounds. But his move up to heavyweight presented new challenges. In just his second fight in boxing’s blue-riband division, Usyk took on Derek Chisora, and he struggled to cope with the Brit’s constant pressure. Chisora had plenty of success in the first half of the contest and Usyk needed to make adjustments in the latter rounds to eventually pull away for a unanimous decision victory. Next up was Anthony Joshua. Usyk made their first meeting look surprisingly easy as he picked Joshua apart on his way to a clear points win. However, the rematch was much closer. Joshua attacked Usyk’s body more and appeared to trouble the Ukrainian great in the ninth round. However, like the true champion he is, Usyk responded well to finish strongly and get his hand raised again. Usyk made light work of Daniel Dubois, apart from a controversial low blow ruling, and then set his sights on Tyson Fury. Fury was on top at the halfway stage of their undisputed clash, but Usyk turned the fight on its head when he landed a huge combination in the ninth round that led to Fury taking a count. Usyk did not let up in the final rounds and did just enough to win a split decision. The rematch was a more tactical affair and less physically gruelling, but Usyk still had to work hard to get the nod on points. He was back to his best in his last outing as he stopped Dubois for the second time, needing only five rounds on this occasion. But it would be fair to say that Briedis, Chisora, Joshua and Fury have all pushed Usyk, and this could have an accumulative effect over time. Usyk competed at two Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012, respectively. His first experience was a disappointing one as he was beaten in the quarter-finals and left without a medal. This convinced him to stay in the amateur code for another four years and he got his reward when he won a gold medal in London. He finally made the move across to the professional ranks in 2013 and made his debut just two months shy of his 27th birthday. Usyk spent the next five years in the cruiserweight division and did not move up to heavyweight until he was 32. He has always done things at his own pace, but some have questioned exactly how long he has left in boxing. Usyk will turn 39 in January, and the end of the road could be in sight. He has claimed he will continue until he is 41, but he has started to pick up more injuries in recent times, and it would not be a surprise to see him walk away in the near future. Usyk is in esteemed company when looking at other heavyweights who were still champions in their late thirties. Wladimir Klitschko was 39 when he was finally dethroned by Tyson Fury in 2015, while Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield both held titles until they were 38. Muhammad Ali was still a champion at 37, highlighting how it is possible for great fighters to continue to flourish in the latter stages of their careers. It should also be noted that Vitali Klitschko was 42 when he retired as a world champion, and George Foreman famously scaled the top of the heavyweight mountain at the age of 45. If Usyk is taking inspiration from Foreman or the elder Klitschko brother, he could still have years ahead of him, which would be bad news for Wardley and Co. Usyk has been involved in eight heavyweight fights since joining the division in 2019. The concern for his rivals is he only seems to be getting better. Concerns were raised over whether he would be able to handle physical heavyweights after Chisora ran him close, but Usyk has gradually increased his weight and strength, and now appears far more comfortable against naturally bigger men. He has consistently given up a size advantage against the likes of Joshua, Fury and Dubois but still found a way to win. The rematches with Fury and Dubois were particularly interesting as Usyk won them more easily than the first fights. Fury had troubled Usyk with his use of the uppercut in their first fight but hardly landed it the second time around. Earlier this year, the narrative was that Dubois was much-improved ahead of his second clash with Usyk and many believed he could exact revenge after his knockout defeat two years earlier. However, Usyk dominated from start to finish before taking Dubois out in the fifth. Based on that performance, he is still at the top of his game. Usyk has looked better than ever in his most recent fights, and it may be wishful thinking on the part of Wardley’s team to believe he is over the hill. But time waits for no man, and there is a chance it could creep up on Usyk when he faces Wardley next year. Usyk relies on his timing and cat-like reflexes to outfox his opponents, but if these attributes start to fail him, Wardley’s chances will only improve. There is no doubt Usyk will enter the fight as the overwhelming favourite. The future Hall of Famer has overcome every challenge he has ever faced to become an all-time great. But Wardley is not fazed by betting odds, as he showed when he defied his underdog status to beat Parker on Saturday night. He is full of belief that he can pull off the seemingly impossible task of toppling Usyk, and if the heavyweight king is on his way down the other side of the mountain, Wardley could be getting him at just the right time to continue his fairytale story. 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