Fighting in his hometown of Ipswich, Fabio Wardley secured the WBA interim heavyweight championship by dramatically knocking out Justis Huni in a captivating contest at Portman Road.
Huni appeared to be leading significantly on the scorecards after controlling much of the initial nine rounds with his quick hands and skillful boxing. Wardley seemed to struggle at times, suffering a cut lip in the seventh round.
Despite trailing, Wardley landed a powerful right hand to Huni`s face in the tenth round, securing an improbable victory that sent the crowd of over 20,000 fans into ecstatic celebration as the referee stopped the fight. Wardley celebrated with great enthusiasm on the home ground of Ipswich Town FC, where fans had endured rain for much of the evening.
This win positions Wardley for a potential title challenge against the victor of the upcoming unification match between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
The atmosphere was vibrant early on, with the home crowd in strong voice. Both boxers exchanged powerful shots in an exciting fourth round, prompting Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn to show his support for Huni as an upset seemed possible.
After the fight, Wardley acknowledged Huni`s superior technical skill but expressed satisfaction at finding a way to win unexpectedly.
“I don`t claim to be a highly skilled boxer like Usyk or Justis Huni,” he stated. “But what I can do is win fights by digging deep, showing heart, and finding a path to victory. That`s exactly what was needed tonight. I know I should have performed better in some rounds, but fights don`t always go according to plan. Sometimes you just have to find another route to winning. So, we managed to pull off something special.”
Wardley`s promoter, Frank Warren, likened his finish to that of a famous knockout artist, telling DAZN:
“That was a Deontay Wilder-esque moment. He has immense heart and power, stopping yet another opponent. I must commend Justis Huni; both fighters performed admirably. Ipswich, you showed him great support, and he made Ipswich proud in return.”
This triumph follows his equally spectacular first-round knockout win against Frazer Clarke in Riyadh last October. The 30-year-old British heavyweight was originally scheduled to fight American Jarrell Miller, who pulled out due to injury, leading to Huni stepping in on short notice. In other event news, Dillian Whyte also withdrew and is reportedly in discussions to face Moses Itauma in August.
Undercard Results
On the undercard, Team GB`s Lewis Richardson commenced his professional boxing career with a flawless performance against Dmitri Protkunas from Estonia. The bronze medallist from the Paris 2024 Olympics secured a unanimous decision victory, winning every round of the six-round super welterweight fight.
In the main support fight, Ireland`s Pierce O`Leary claimed the vacant European super lightweight title by defeating England`s Liam Dillon via unanimous decision.
Murray Blackwood