Fabio Wardley has been told to prove himself at the 'highest level' before earning a shot at Oleksandr Usyk. The Suffolk scrapper returns to the ring on Saturday night, where he will put his WBO heavyweight title on the line against Daniel Dubois. Wardley picked up the interim prize in his last appearance back in October after stopping Joseph Parker in the 11th round. Just days later, the Brit was promoted to full champion after Usyk relinquished the belt.
Dubois has not fought since suffering a brutal knockout defeat to Usyk last July in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. While Wardley expects a tough night at the office in Manchester, the 31-year-old is eyeing up some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division.
After Wardley saw a proposed clash with Usyk fail to come to fruition, the Brit has long called for a future dust-up with the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. And the Ipswich native has been handed a major boost after being told that the Ukrainian is open to a fight with the hard-hitting Briton.
Sergey Lapin's Verdict
Sergey Lapin, the chief executive of Usyk's promotional company Ready To Fight, believes Wardley must prove himself to earn a crack at Usyk. "If Fabio Wardley proves himself at the highest level, he can definitely become part of that conversation," he told Sky Sports.
And a win over Dubois this weekend could help his case. "Becoming a three-time undisputed heavyweight champion would be something historic, and Oleksandr is always motivated by the biggest challenges," Lapin continued. "At the same time, we don't build our plans around one name or one outcome. There are several strong contenders in the division, and we are focused on the biggest and most meaningful fights available."
Usyk's Future Plans
Lapin added: "Oleksandr has already achieved what very few fighters in history have done, so now it's not about chasing titles for the sake of it. For many years Oleksandr accepted fights based mainly on sporting value, often without focusing on the business side. He was building his legacy.
"Now it's different. At this stage, both sporting and business factors matter. He also wants to leave a lasting impact on the sport and help the next generation of fighters grow through projects like Ready To Fight. What drives him is the pursuit of greatness in a broader sense - taking on the biggest challenges available, staying at the highest level and continuing to test himself against top competition."
Providing Wardley comes away from this weekend's clash unscathed and with his hand raised, the Brit will have one eye on Usyk's return. The Ukrainian is scheduled to take on kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23 with his WBC heavyweight title on the line.
