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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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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

Daniel Dubois will face Fabio Wardley in a rematch of a heavyweight slugfest from earlier this year, with Dubois defending the WBO heavyweight title he took from Wardley on that night.

Live coverage will kick off at 2 pm ET, and we’ll have results and updates during the four-fight, main card undercard, then live, round-by-round scoring and updates for the main event itself.

How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2

Start time: 2:00 pm ET for main card, prelims begin at 11:00 am ET

Streaming: DAZN (Ultimate subscription or Pay-Per-View)

PPV Cost: As a standalone, one-off purchase Pay-Per-View, the price is $59.99 (or £24.99). With DAZN’s Ultimate tier, the show is included as part of your subscription.

Location: O2 Arena – London, England

Dubois vs Wardley 2 full undercard and running order

Live Stream: Dubois vs Wardley 2 Prelims

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Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance

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"Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance"

Fabio Wardley can turn his early success against Daniel Dubois into a rematch victory if he avoids exhausting himself chasing the finish. He proved he could hurt Dubois in their first fight. The harder task is keeping control when an opponent he has dropped continues coming forward.

Wardley scored two early knockdowns before Dubois recovered and stopped him. That leaves an opening for a different result, although better pacing alone may not be enough to prevent another punishing night.

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora both back Wardley to win again on Saturday, with Mannix choosing him by stoppage. Mora believes Wardley’s eagerness to finish Dubois helped undo his promising start.

“If he just doesn’t punch himself out, he thinks about setting up that right hand, doesn’t get right hand happy,” Mora said to DAZN Boxing.

That is the adjustment Wardley needs to make under pressure. Once Dubois survived his biggest punches, Wardley needed something beyond another loaded right hand. Working behind his jab and putting punches together would give him more ways to attack without spending everything on a single finish.

Dubois deserves credit for surviving those knockdowns and returning to his jab. Mora believes his previous defeats helped him stay composed when Wardley hurt him. Wardley now has his own experience of a fight turning against him.

“I think he’ll be smarter after this fight. I think he’ll learn some lessons,” Mannix said. “I think Wardley wins by stoppage in this fight.”

Mannix’s biggest concern is what the first beating took out of Wardley. Learning the tactical lesson does not guarantee he will absorb Dubois’ punches the same way in the rematch.

Wardley’s power gives their picks a credible foundation. He has already put Dubois down twice. To complete the job, he needs to create another opening without allowing the pursuit of a knockout to leave him exhausted and exposed again.

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Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

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Bam Rodriguez Proposes March Fight, But Inoue Eyes New Opportunities

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"Bam Rodriguez Proposes March Fight, But Inoue Eyes New Opportunities"

Jesse Rodriguez is willing to meet Naoya Inoue in March, yet that timeline still depends entirely on the undisputed champion waiting for him. Inoue may prefer an earlier ring return, which would leave Rodriguez on the outside looking in as he continues handling business at bantamweight.

Trainer Robert Garcia revealed that Rodriguez can make a March date work, moving up his original April or May target. Still, the camp intends to take on WBO champion Christian Medina in December first.

Robert confirmed the updated outlook to The Ring: “I previously said April or May, but we can be ready for March.”

While that shortens the wait, early 2027 remains unresolved. Turki Alalshikh pointed toward a January appearance in Japan. Eddie Hearn mentioned February or March instead. Clear alignment on a date is completely absent.

Rodriguez must fulfill a contract before New Year’s Eve, with Garcia eyeing December 11 or December 19 against Medina. The camp figures Rodriguez can enjoy the holidays, then jump straight into camp for Inoue.

That expectation rests on an ideal outcome against Medina. Cuts, bruised knuckles, or an unexpectedly brutal bout could easily force Rodriguez to take extra recovery time. Inoue would effectively be pinning his calendar on a fighter who still has to survive another bout first.

Inoue is already eyeing an eventual jump to featherweight. Sitting around waiting for Rodriguez to finish his stay at 118 pounds makes little sense for the Japanese star.

Garcia admitted neither he nor Hearn has received an official approach to begin talks. The public chatter is moving much faster than the paperwork.

Putting March on the table does not guarantee Inoue’s cooperation. If March works on both sides, the matchup can happen. If Inoue wants to fight sooner, Rodriguez will either have to scrap his December plans or watch this major fight slip away.

Bam is acting like someone who wants the glory of calling out Inoue without actually taking the risk of meeting him on his terms.

When a fighter gets an invitation to share a ring with the sport’s biggest pound-for-pound attraction, they drop everything. They do not tell the undisputed champion to take a number and wait until spring because Christian Medina is on the calendar. That makes zero sense. A routine belt grab against Medina does nothing for Rodriguez’s profile, brings in a fraction of the money, and accomplishes very little that fans care about.

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BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

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