Fabio Wardley brutally knocked out a boxer who had Deontay Wilder in trouble.
Since turning professional after a stint on the white-collar circuit, the Englishman has smashed through all the barriers placed in front of him, achieving far more than most thought possible.
On Saturday night, the warrior will challenge for the vacant WBA interim world heavyweight title at Ipswich soccer club’s Portman Road.
Wardley’s opponent, Justis Huni, notably has a victory over Paul Gallen, but the Brit isn’t short of scalps either, having stopped a boxer ‘The Bronze Bomber’ struggled with.
WOW: Deontay Wilder believes he would’ve knocked out icon he signed to fight but never faced
Fabio Wardley ruthlessly finished Eric Molina, who wobbled Deontay Wilder
On June 13, 2015, Deontay Wilder made the first defense of his WBC title against Eric Molina at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
While the thunderous puncher eventually knocked out ‘Drummer Boy’, he had to ride out a storm after getting rocked to his core, when his opponent detonated a massive left hook.
Several years later, Fabio Wardley faced Molina in his biggest test up to that point. And like Wilder, he was hurt by the Mexican-American.
In the early portion of the fight, Molina showcased his class, landing thudding shots to the body.
As the contest continued, the Ipswich fighter started to land his own shots, and the pair began trading heavy blows.
In the fifth, the former world title challenger connected with a solid right hand that had Wardley hurt, but when he went to finish the job, the younger man unleashed a right hand that sent the veteran tumbling towards the canvas and prompted the referee to jump in.
Deontay Wilder got dropped by a fighter with a 17-20-2 record
For many, Molina was the first person they ever saw hurt Wilder.
However, hardcore fans are aware that long before he reached the top, the American had to overcome some serious adversity.
In a fight that was meant to serve as nothing more than an experience builder, the future world champion found himself in a lot of trouble.
In a shocking moment, Wilder was dropped by a boxer with a 17-20-2 record.