One of Oleksandr Usyk’s historic sparring partners is inching closer to a spectacular title charge against the Ukrainian, with just a single foe standing in his way.
Receiving a stark update on his fighting future over the weekend, undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to fight the WBO mandatory challenger in his return, who is currently long-linked opponent Joseph Parker.
Still sidelined through a back injury, Usyk has yet to book his return since landing his second undisputed heavyweight title with a rematch knockout win over Daniel Dubois earlier this summer.
However, while Parker is gunning for his chance to finally face off with Usyk, a familiar past training partner is also priming himself to earn his own clash.
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Fabio Wardley discusses prior training camps with Oleksandr Usyk
Returning to the ring in just over a month’s time, unbeaten Ipswich finisher Fabio Wardley faces just one more hurdle to book himself a spectacular undisputed title fight with ex-teammate Usyk.
Set to take on the above-mentioned Parker, Wardley, who most recently landed a knockout win over Justis Huni back in June to win the interim WBA heavyweight crown, improved his professional record to 19-0-1 — with a staggering eighteen knockouts on his résumé.
And plotting a route to Usyk, Wardley is well aware that only Parker stands in his way of rekindling his battle with the Ukrainian, this time in the ring for real.
“That would feel like a full circle moment,” Wardley told Queensberry Promotions of a fight with Usyk. “Usyk was one of the first people — at the early stages of my career, seven maybe eight years ago, that I went out to Ukraine and did a training camp with.
“…It would be like a surreal full circle moment,” Wardley continued. “…He wanted me out there [in Ukraine], he saw — or must have seen something in me to want me to be a sparring partner. For me to come around six or seven years later and fight him for all the belts would be one hell of a story.”
However, while Parker and now Wardley are chomping at the bit to secure a fight with Usyk, the Olympic gold medalist has been urged to wait before retirement to land a blockbuster with a fellow cruiserweight mover.
Oleksandr Usyk urged to fight Jai Opetaia in champion vs. champion clash
Himself agreeing to his own return to action, unbeaten Australian knockout finisher Jai Opetaia is expected to fight Huseyin Cinkara in his comeback, scuppering plans for a heavyweight move.
However, backed by promoter Eddie Hearn to eventually make a heavyweight leap if he can capture the undisputed cruiserweight crown, Opetaia has been backed as a future opponent for Usyk — in a bid to emulate the Ukrainian’s two-division success.
“People keep talking about Jai (Opetaia) moving to heavyweight, and I think he should,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground. “And I think he will. But, he’s got so much more to do and give at cruiserweight.
“…Then if he can become undisputed cruiserweight champion, I think he can fight (Oleksandr) Usyk,” Hearn continued. “What a fight that is. The undisputed heavyweight world champion versus the undisputed cruiserweight world champion.”