FABIO WARDLEY still won’t be drawn on any names for his next fight but there is one man who will always be a potential opponent for as long as he carries on with his career.
Wardley produced one of the most sensational finishes of the year with his first-round win over Frazer Clarke last weekend. Such was the damage inflicted, Clarke needed to go to hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair his jaw and cheekbone.
The winner retained his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles but also announced his intentions to move on from domestic level. In 2025, Wardley will look to make a major move at world level, which he hopes will lead to an eventual world heavyweight title shot.
“Who I want is an interesting question because honestly I don’t know,” Wardley told Boxing News.
“It’s not about oh I want to fight you, it’s about who’s going to set me up to be in the best position.
“We know with the big fight that’s happening at the end of the year, we know post-that about how the belts are going to fragment and [then] setting yourself up for world title eliminators and being in the right position. So, it’s not necessarily about the person it’s about who’s in the right position for me to beat and then put myself in their place where I’m next in line to fight for the world title.”
Wardley turned in a vicious performance against Clarke. (Picture by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
The unbeaten 29-year-old could find himself sharing the ring with Derek Chisora in 2025. Chisora continues to defy the doubters, and despite being 40 years old, his career is continuing. With Wardley using the word ‘War’ as a brief nickname on Saturday and Chisora already carrying the moniker, who’s to say the veteran heavyweight won’t take umbrage at someone else stealing his idea?
“I am still waiting for some sort of call, FaceTime or anything from Derek to say look mate you don’t steal my name alright,” Wardley said.
“I haven’t spoken to him. Funnily enough I did after the show. I did an interview with Delicious TV which is his thing but he wasn’t the one doing it, it was his other guy. But that would be an interesting one. I think he’s got a fight coming up sometime soon which Frank [Warren] hinted at the other day.
“But maybe his last one to either take the name War to the boxing grave with him or I take it and it’s mine to carry on. We fight out for the name maybe. It’d be an interesting storyline to put together.”