Wardley fight canceled: British champion spills why Usyk backed out
Fabio Wardley Comments on Why Oleksandr Usyk Avoided WBO Title Defense (photo: Getty Images)
Newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley explained why, in his view, Oleksandr Usyk chose not to defend his title, reports TalkSport.
Why Wardley says Usyk 'ran away'
After Usyk declined to defend his WBO belt, the title automatically passed to interim champion Wardley. The British heavyweight claimed that Usyk was reluctant to face him because Wardley's unconventional fighting style could have been a surprise.
"There is a rhythm to boxing, a way of doing things that is to-and-fro, almost like a dance of steps and how things should be. Then a character like me, someone who comes in such an unorthodox way from an unorthodox background, kind of throws a spanner in the works and throws it off that rhythm," Wardley said. He added that this gave him significant chances to defeat the Ukrainian champion.
How Wardley got the WBO title
Usyk had not fought since his summer bout against Daniel Dubois and was scheduled to defend the belt against the winner of the Wardley–Parker fight. However, Usyk withdrew due to an injury and officially vacated the title.
The WBO thanked Usyk for his contributions to the sport, emphasising his status as one of the greatest champions of the modern era. Promoter Frank Warren also congratulated Wardley on winning the belt, calling it "one of the most extraordinary and historic" in his decade of boxing experience.
Wardley's path to the World Championship
Fabio Wardley remains undefeated in 21 fights and has a 95% knockout rate. In October, he stopped Joseph Parker early at the O2 Arena, after which he became the interim WBO champion.
The British boxer made his professional debut in 2017, steadily moving up the rankings. Over the past two years, he has defeated Justis Huni, completed two gruelling fights with Frazer Clarke, and won the most important fight of his career against Parker.
After Usyk decided to vacate the title, Wardley briefly commented on social media: #AndTheNew.
What's next
Usyk has not yet announced when he will return to the ring or which title he plans to defend next.
Meanwhile, the WBO is already forming the lineup of contenders for Wardley’s belt. The potential next opponent for the British boxer is Moses Itauma if he wins his upcoming fight in January.
Earlier, we reported Usyk’s first comments about giving up the WBO title.
