The stage is set for October 25 in O2, where Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley collide in the fight in bulky weight, which contains the consequences of breaks. In Glazers Hall, a press conference that opens both men in the spotlight, but the earlier words of Parker in the camp show, where his head really is.
Frank Warren spelled this: “Why is this fight so significant? Because you have two guys who do not have to fight. Both are these masters. Usyk is not for 90 days … If he does not fight them, the winner can be announced a champion. For the winner it will be all, and for a loser there will be nothing.”
Parker: “Going towards the fire? I love the fire“
Parker did not refrain from ironing: “walking towards the fire? I love fire. I fought many fighters who are huge punchers and were unable to pull me out, so recognize Fabio Wardley for this fight.”
But switch to his interview from the bottom you hear the same indefinite way of thinking. After escaping Usyk: “This is a fight I want and it is a fight that makes sense, because it has all the lanes. But if it is not a fight in front of you, then you will simply focus on what will happen next. It was beyond my control. The only thing I could control was training in Novel Zealand.”
And why he took Wardley instead of waiting: “I wanted to fight. I wanted to be busy. I had one fight in 2024, only this year with Martin Bakole. I need more fights. The only way to progress is to combine all this on the night of fighting. I need time on the ring.”
Parker doubled at a press conference: “There are levels. They say that there are levels in boxing and I believe that I have experience that I have and where I worked in Novel Zealand, I have a good base and I am excited to see what I can do in the ring.”
Wardley: “This will be a decisive moment”
Wardley, undefeated and stubborn, treats it as his party. “It will be a huge moment in my career, probably a decisive moment. I am involved in this saying” only great fights “because I did not come here to have fun. I didn’t get so far in my career that I just just lie down and wait for me to give me something. “
He praised Parker’s position, but refused to play the second violin: “When Oleksandr Usyk was at the moment, there is no better competitor in the division now than man No. 2 Joseph Parker. People may still have reservations and questions, so October 25 is a place where I can spotless it all, beating Joseph Parker.”
Ko Wardley’s statistics were not unnoticed. Parker admitted: “The most tough striking I have now encountered because he has the highest percentage. He can do it to him, I can do it to him. Now it is a matter of who intends to carry out this plan.”
My opinion – Parker vs Wardley result
Loan, where it is due: Frank Warren gave the right fight here. Two fleeting masters, a real threat, without hiding, without waiting. In today’s heavyweight scene, this is uncommon – and deserves respect.
Wardley says a good game and believes. But Parker was from Joshua, Whyte, Chisora, Zhang, Wilder – the wardley fire is warmer than anything he saw before. Parker is right: there are levels. Wardley never fought in it.
Can Fabio break him? Of course. But Parker has Nous, chin, engine and time. If Parker controls the pace, then his fight for losing. My phone? Parker by knockout in the middle rounds. Too experienced, too pointed, too experienced. Wardley will find out that the levels matter.
Amy Kaplan is a box of boxing since she was 10 years elderly, which means that she spent most of her life, explaining to people that yes, they really prefer nights of fighting at parties. Now, writing to Boxing News 24, it covers everything from the fight for the title of world champion to perspectives swinging as at the day of payment. It combines acute analysis with sarcasm, calling for boxing policy and crossing the spin with the release of the press to give fans stories that actually matter.
Oscar De La Hoya has questioned the general consensus that Canelo Alvarez is a Mexican boxing legend following his unanimous decision victory over Christian Mbilli.
The 36-year-old reclaimed his WBC title last Saturday, having lost his undisputed super-middleweight crown in his previous outing, against Terence Crawfordin September 2025.
Following that defeat, many wondered whether Canelo could succeed again at world level but, sure enough, he did just that by dethroning Mbilli.
Not only did he claim a convincing points victory, but the Mexican contained Mbilli’s aggression and controlled the majority of their contest with superior technical and defensive skills.
This, however, was not quite enough to satisfy his former promoter, De La Hoya, who has suggested that Canelo’s low punch output made for a largely tedious affair.
As per his semi-regular social media series, Clapback Thursdaythe Hall of Famer also undermined Canelo’s widely-accepted legacy as a Mexican great.
“I’m so f**king tired of 100 punches [being] thrown in a fight with no action whatsoever, and I know the fans are over it.
“We all miss those days of [Marco Antonio] Barrera, [Erik] Morales [and] Julio Cesar Chavez – that’s what Mexican boxing is known for.
“Canelo, do you try to proclaim you’re the best Mexican fighter ever? You couldn’t hold Chavez’ jockstrap. And I can name 10 other Mexican fighters who are way better boxers than you are. And they didn’t sell-out to fight in front of 15 people in Saudi Arabia.”
In fairness, Canelo has never proclaimed to be the greatest Mexican fighter in history, though most would argue he deserves to be considered in an all-time top 10.
A formal press release was issued today announcing the December 19 welterweight title unification between Devin Haney and Liam Paro at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and in anticipation of the meeting with a co-feature of Brian Norman vs Abel RamosHaney shared his excitement for what he expects to be another successful outing to snag some more hardware.
“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said. “I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line. I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home. “Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am. The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going.
“I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”
Paro, however hopes to upset the odds, knowing he’ll be coming into this fight as a decided underdog.
“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said. “I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard.
“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people. Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that. But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before. December 19, I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”
With the WBO and IBF welterweight world titles on the line, one fight will be heading into the new year halfway to undisputed.
Liam Paro served as supporting cast the last time Devin Haney headlined at Chase Center. Come December 19, he walks into San Francisco carrying the IBF welterweight title, gunning to strip Haney of his WBO strap.
Three years transformed Paro from an undercard face into a headline attraction. He watched Haney shut out Regis Prograis from the locker room in December 2023. Now he commands the marquee, even if getting US fight fans to open their wallets on pay-per-view presents an uphill battle.
“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis. I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it is here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard. I have never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people,” Paro stated.
The Australian proved his mettle by snatching the 140-pound crown from Subriel Matias on hostile soil. Richardson Hitchins took it right back six months later, checking Paro’s momentum before mainstream crowds took notice.
The jump to 147 pounds provided the reboot he needed. Three straight wins, capped by a gritty points victory over Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF strap, set the stage for this encounter.
Haney ends a lengthy layoff on home turf. Sitting out more than twelve months makes asking fans to purchase a DAZN PPV against a fighter unknown to mainstream viewers a tough sell. Belts by themselves rarely move the needle at the box office.
Brian Norman Jr. takes on Abel Ramos in the ten-round co-feature. Norman dropped his WBO belt to Haney last November and must now accept undercard placement on his conqueror’s bill.
Paro earned his position the hard way. December 19 decides if his punch output can upset the hometown favorite or if Haney cruises behind his jab.
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