Wardley set for first WBO title defense with Joshua among top picks
Fabio Wardley (photo: Getty Images)
WBO heavyweight world champion Fabio Wardley plans to return to the ring in the spring of 2026. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that the team is already working on organizing his first title defense, which the Briton received after Oleksandr Usyk decided to vacate the belt, reports Boxing News 24/7.
Warren announced Wardley's expected return date
Promoter Frank Warren said that Fabio Wardley's debut WBO title defense is scheduled for April 2026.
According to him, next week they will meet with the boxer and his manager to finalize the next steps.
"Fabio will be boxing in April. We're working on meeting up with him and his manager next week. We're going to have some lunch and work out what we're doing," Warren said, commenting on the situation.
Possible opponent: Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua is on the list of contenders to face the new champion.
The former British titleholder is preparing for a February fight in Riyadh, after which he plans to meet Tyson Fury.
If Fury does not agree to the fight, Joshua may turn his attention to Wardley's title.
How the Briton received the WBO belt
Fabio Wardley became the full WBO champion in November 2025, when Oleksandr Usyk chose not to make the mandatory defense against the Briton and vacated the belt.
This cost the Ukrainian his undisputed status: he remained with the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.
Wardley earned his titles step by step. First, he won the interim WBO belt by knocking out Joseph Parker in the 11th round.
Earlier, he secured a victory over Justis Huni after trailing in the fight until the decisive strike in the 10th round.
In the summer, the Briton also claimed the interim WBA title after knocking out Huni once again.
Usyk explained why he chose not to fight Wardley
Oleksandr Usyk admitted that he declined the mandatory defense against the Briton, noting that he did not see the point in taking that risk.
Promoter Frank Warren stated that Oleksandr Usyk deliberately avoided the mandatory WBO title defense against the Briton, preferring financially more attractive bouts.
According to him, Usyk views fights through the lens of risk and reward, and the fight with Wardley did not meet that criterion. Warren added that the matchup could have been a major event, filling London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Earlier, we revealed the place and the dates of the sensational fight between Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather.
Also, we reported Tyson Fury's statement in which he hinted at a return to the ring.
