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Next Briton: Could Fabio Wardley really beat Oleksandr Usyk?

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It was brutal, gripping and divisive, and the winner was, in the eyes of many, unexpected.

Fabio Wardley’s victory over Joseph Parker was a huge achievement for the Ipswich man and provided fans with another heavyweight thriller.

In the aftermath, Wardley – and perhaps more importantly, promoter Frank Warren – made it clear what they wanted to, no, happen next: a date with Oleksandr Usyk; a man who has haunted British fighters for years.

The fight is expected to be booked by the WBO, and Warren said it would likely take place around March next year, with London and Riyadh hosting.

Interestingly, Wardley said he wanted to go to the United States, which would not only be huge for him, but the US has yet to see Usyk at heavyweight.

All the logistics are irrelevant compared to the main question: Can Wardley actually do it?

Several Brits have tried and failed, and the list is impressive: Tony Bellew (cruiserweight), Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua (twice), Tyson Fury (twice) and Daniel Dubois (twice) failed to defeat Usyk’s generation great.

Wardley has made no secret of his unique journey to the top. He is now a white-collar fighter with little amateur experience who has established himself as the No. 2 heavyweight in the world.

However, he also made it clear that he didn’t want to fight Usyk for fun. He wants all four belts and believes he can cause problems for Ukraine.

“I’m not going to get in the ring with Usyk and say ‘thank you for having me’ and get up. When the bell rings, he’s going to have to work for it,” Wardley said.

Of course, you’d expect an elite fighter to have this attitude, but – so far, anyway – Wardley has embraced it.

After round 10 against Parker he had no chance but was stopped; 19th in his career. He took a lot of good shots, but he proved he had one of the best engines in the league and pushed forward.

Several times it looked like Parker was on the brink of being taken down, but Wardley stood his ground and refused to be taken down.

He won’t try to finish Usyk, but if and when he takes punches, Wardley has shown he can handle it. When it comes to how he can win a fight, he has what Warren calls the great equalizer. In a way, he is the British answer to Deontay Wilder.

“There are levels. There’s also Fabio Warley, who has a leveler and does ‘this and that,'” Warren said, raising both fists.

“And if he catches you, you’re out of the game.”

It all adds up to an intriguing year for the heavyweight division.

With any luck, Wardley, Usyk, Dubois, Agit Kabayel (who will fight in January), Moses Itauma and Joshua will fight until April.

Although Joshua has been inactive, he is still one of the biggest stars on the planet and his potential fight in Africa will be an unforgettable experience.

If fans want to see the best fighting the best, they shouldn’t mind Usyk fighting Wardley, who deserved his chance. Usyk has also beaten everyone so far and should be eager for a recent challenge.

You may doubt Wardley, but so far he has proven everyone wrong. Who said he couldn’t do it again?

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Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime

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Mike Tyson names who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their primes

Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.

It was Mayweather who won by unanimous decision, but now, more than a decade later, they will meet again for a second time while fighting at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.

Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.

Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.

Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.

“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”

Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.

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Dmitry Bivol is targeting a fight with Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez

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Image: The New Canelo? Jose Benavidez Sr. Says Son David Will Relentlessly Pursue Dmitry Bivol's Titles After WBC Vacancy

Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.

Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.


He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.

More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.

Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.

Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.

For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.

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Categories David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol

Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34

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Jai Opetai’s undisputed dream lives on as the IBF releases a fresh statement regarding the status of the title

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Jai Opetaia undisputed dream still alive as IBF release new statement on title status

A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.

Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.

Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.

After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.

“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”

The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.

“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”

“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.

“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”

The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.

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