Fabio Wardley ready to leave British title behind in pursuit of new ambitions

Fabio Wardley is still relaxing in the afterglow of his stunning first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke. 

After fighting each other to a gruelling draw in March, Wardley brought a conclusive end to his and Clarke’s rivalry earlier in October and is now plotting his next move. 

Wardley’s promoter, Frank Warren, believes that the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion’s brutal victory was a star-making performance, and one that elevated him towards the top of the heavyweight division.

Choosing the right opponent for him will be critical. He undoubtedly has world-class power and self-confidence but they shouldn’t be allowed to outweigh his inexperience. Wardley has developed into a convincing prospect but he still needs to figure out exactly what will and won’t work against top-level opposition. Fortunately, the 29 year old from Ipswich also seems to have the willingness and capacity to learn.

Warren has a track record of putting his fighters in the right fights at the right times, and he believes that Wardley has earned the right to test himself. 

“We’re going to sit down with the team and what I’m sort of pre-empting – or saying before we meet – I think he should be fighting somebody in the top 10 and I’m sure that’s what he wants to do,” Warren said before aiming another barb at his rival promoter Ben Shalom’s assertion that the gloves Wardley wore during the fight with Clarke warrant investigation. 

“We’ll sit down and look at the various options. Whatever happens, it’s onwards and upwards. He ain’t going backwards, he’s going forwards. And he’s going forwards with the gloves that he was wearing in that fight that were all above board.”

On the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II, Moses Itauma and Johnny Fisher enter their latest fights. Itauma, 10-0 (8 KOs), will step up in class against Australia’s Demsey McKean, 22-1 (14 KOs), in Riyadh; the popular Fisher, 12-0 (11 KOs), fights the unpredictable Dave Allen, 23-6-2 (18 KOs).

Itauma and Fisher have both progressed admirably in 2024, and, provided they pass their final tests of the year, both will have one eye on the British heavyweight title that Wardley proudly holds.

They may soon able able to focus on it fully. Wardley is planning on leaving behind the domestic scene and vacating it. 

“If I wanted to hold on to that belt permanently then it would be one more defence,” he said. “I think there’s brighter stars. There’s bigger and better opportunities out there. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a fantastic belt. It’s prestigious, it’s beautiful and I’d love to hold on to it but I feel like I’ve had my time with it. I’ve had the fights that also give it the credibility to go with it as well so I’ve had my piece.

“There’s new guys coming through. It’s their time. I’m not one to step in the way, block everyone and hold on to it forever. I’ve got somewhere I want to go now and I’m happy to leave that bit behind.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79