Parker vs Wardley is a breath of fresh air and must usher in new era for boxing

The British heavyweights are taking a huge risk by fighting each other and deserve nothing but praise

Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley will face each other in a huge heavyweight fight at the O2 Arena tonight.

Both men hold interim titles in boxing’s blue-riband division and are on the brink of a shot at undisputed champion, Oleksandr Usyk.

They could have easily sat on the sidelines and waited to fight the Ukrainian great, an approach many boxers would have taken.

But Parker and Wardley have opted to take a different route to the top instead. This is why they deserve immense credit, and why tonight’s bout must be used as a springboard to usher in a new era for boxing.

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Fabio Wardley (pictured) faces Joseph Parker in London tonight (Ben Whitley/PA) (PA Wire)

Parker and Wardley putting it all on the line

Parker really did not need to take this fight. He is Usyk’s next mandatory challenger and the fight between the pair was ordered back in July.

However, a deal failed to be agreed, and Usyk was then granted an extended negotiation period after suffering a back injury.

Few would have blamed Parker for taking his time to see how the WBO situation played out as he could have either got the Usyk fight or fought for the vacant title if the undisputed king relinquished his belt for a more lucrative payday.

But Parker wanted to stay active. He has not been in the ring since February, and that was for a two-round blowout of late replacement, Martin Bakole.

He has decided he is happy to put his mandatory position at risk to keep busy ahead of a potential clash with Usyk in 2026.

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Wardley is also well-positioned as he is the WBA interim champion after knocking out Justis Huni in June.

Although he is not at the front of the queue to face Usyk like Parker is, he could have chosen a far easier opponent to keep his name in the title mix.

But that’s not his style. Wardley has consistently taken on big challenges despite having no amateur experience after coming from a white-collar boxing background.

He is stepping up to the plate again tonight, just like Parker, with both men knowing that a loss will send them back to the drawing board with their world title dreams shattered.

Joseph Parker celebrates his early knockout of Martin Bakole (Getty Images)

What are other contenders doing?

Parker and Wardley arguably warrant even more praise due to the current heavyweight landscape around them.

Neither Anthony Joshua nor Tyson Fury have fought in 2025, while Daniel Dubois is also not expected to return until next year after losing to Usyk in July.

Fellow interim champion, Agit Kabayel, has not been in action since February and his next fight is now due to take place in January against an unnamed opponent.

Other contenders such as Moses Itauma and Derek Chisora have also been struggling to line up opponents in recent weeks.

In short, not a lot is happening in the heavyweight division right now, with fighters talking about fights without actually taking them.

Parker and Wardley have shown they are willing to walk the walk, and one of them will be rewarded when they get their hand raised tonight.

Anthony Joshua hasn't fought since his defeat by Daniel Dubois in September 2024 (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)

Why Parker and Wardley must be used as trendsetters

Boxing needs a strong heavyweight division, and it is a weight class that has plenty of potential.

Established names such as Usyk, Joshua and Fury are likely to return to the fray next year, while the likes of Parker, Wardley, Kabayel and Itauma are building their profiles and working their way into contention.

But the biggest fights aren’t getting made and that is a constant source of frustration for fans.

A handful of boxers know they are closing in on a title shot and do not want to put their position on the line. It is not just a problem at heavyweight either – it has become commonplace in boxing across the board.

Parker and Wardley fighting one another is a breath of fresh air as they will be aware it could all go wrong yet are still happy to trade leather.

And that is what high-level sport is all about – daring to be great. Hopefully, Parker and Wardley’s mindset will rub off on other boxers and high-stakes fights will become the norm again.

What should come next for Parker and Wardley?

Parker and Wardley should be rewarded for testing themselves when they didn’t need to.

For the winner of tonight’s bout, the next step ought to be simple. They would fully deserve a showdown with Usyk after cementing their place as the best contender.

Usyk’s advisor, Sergey Lapin, confirmed earlier this week that the undefeated champion is planning to return in the first half of 2026 and is targeting a fight with Parker or Wardley. This should be music to the ears of tonight’s main event fighters.

It is also important that the loser is not forgotten about. A fighter should not be punished for taking on a challenge and falling short.

Whoever comes out on the wrong end of tonight’s result should be given the opportunity to go straight into another big fight to work their way back into the title picture.

This should incentivise boxers to take the biggest fights, safe in the knowledge that they will be not disregarded if they lose.

The heavyweight division needs to get moving, and tonight’s clash could be exactly what is needed to spark it into life.

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