Heavyweight Showdown
Last night’s Queensberry Promotions/DAZN Main Event between WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 Kos) and undefeated WBA Interim Heavyweight Champion Fabio Wardley (20-0, 19 Kos), surpassed all my expectations when these two Heavyweights collided at the O2 Arena in London.
Both combatants went into this bout with the utmost confidence and displayed it right from the jump as both warriors wasted no time at establishing their respective “game plan”. Parker was visibly the bigger man but Wardley who was not intimated at all stood his ground round by round.
We had a serious shootout on the night with heavy shots coming from both sides. Both combatants had their moments throughout the night but what surprised me the most was how both warriors withstood each other’s heavy shots. Every round had a dramatic impact right before the bell.
Parker’s experience showed dividends as the rounds progressed. Parker was very efficient and calculative with his punch selection and power shots as the bigger man but Wardley’s chin, durability and will to win alongside his own power, could not go unnoticed.
Wardley is as tough as they come and tonight, he laid it all on the line inside that squared circle. The clock was ticking and desperation was creeping into the back of Wardley’s mind. Entering the 11th round, Wardley brought forth a devastating attack that clipped Parker and sent him in retreat mode to the ropes absorbing and at times avoiding an abundance of unanswered heavy shots coming his way, prompting the referee to jump in and halt the fight before any further damage could be done.
Some will argue that the stoppage may have been premature considering Parker was up on the card but the unanswered onslaught dished out at the time was quite convincing.
With this imposing win under his belt, Wardley has now positioned himself as the No. 1 opponent to challenge the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk. In doing so, he’s definitely put the heavyweight Division on notice.
Well done!
Blaze