Two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk looms large over Saturday’s heavyweight showdown between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley in London.
Parker holds the interim WBO crown and, more pertinently, that sanctioning body is next on the rotation as Usyk’s due mandatory defence.
The Ukrainian great is due to return to action in the first half of 2026 and Frank Warren, who promotes both Parker and Wardley under his Queensberry banner, said this week that Usyk intends to face the winner of this battle of the big men at the O2 Arena.
Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) has done everything asked of him, defeating Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole as part of a six-fight winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in September 2022.
The 33-year-old New Zealander could simply have bided his time and waited for Usyk, but itchy knuckles have come into play. A two-round blowout against overweight late replacement Bakole in February — Parker was due to face then IBF champion Daniel Dubois before the Englishman endured a summer demolition under Usyk’s fists at Wembley — is his only action since climbing off the canvas and going the distance with Zhang last March.
Parker and his trainer Andy Lee believed that was no preparation for Usyk, so they’re putting their position up for grabs against Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs), whose explosive power was on full display when he lost almost every round against Justis Huni at Portman Road before laying him out with a sledgehammer right hand.
“I’m only getting into my prime now. Credit to Wardley for taking this fight, but it’s the wrong time to be taking this fight because I’m going to smash him,” Parker told a pre-fight press conference.
On the undercard, two cruiserweights jostle for their place in the world title mix, while two undefeated Brits put their 0s on the line.
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Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Parker vs. Wardley card:
Juergen Uldedaj vs. Rolly Lambert
- Division/Weight: Cruiserweight
- Uldedaj record: 20-1
- Lambert record: 18-3-1
- Belts at stake: IBO Cruiserweight title (vacant)
The lightly regarded IBO strap is not the end goal for either of these men, with the undefeated Uldedaj starting as favourite.
Two stoppages in his past three fights show overdue evidence of the German-based Albanian sitting down on his punches. Cameroon’s Lambert has gone the distance in all three of his career defeats and won his past two fights, so he should provide a good barometer of how Uldedaj’s power is developing.
Ezra Taylor vs. Steed Woodall
- Division/Weight: Light Heavyweight
- Taylor record: 12-0
- Woodall record: 20-3-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Woodall comes in as a late replacement for British and Commonwealth champion Lewis Edmondson, who suffered a hip injury during the final stage of his preparations.
Hopefully, that intriguing match can be remade as both men jostle for position in Britain’s most talent-stacked division. The undefeated Taylor must avoid any slip-ups to make that a reality, while a ninth career stoppage would make a suitable statement.
Danny Quartermaine vs. Royston Barney-Smith
- Division/Weight: Super Featherweight
- Quartermaine record:13-0-1
- Barney-Smith record: 14-0
- Belts at stake: IBF and WBO European Super Featherweight titles
Quartermaine ventures out of his native Coventry to face a man seven years his junior, who has been carefully positioned by Queensberry.
Barney-Smith, AKA ‘Sugar Boy Roy’, has racked up the wins since turning pro as a teenager, but Quartermaine should be by far his toughest assignment to date.
Mitchell Smith vs. Arnie Dawson
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Smith record: 18-1-0
- Dawson record: 8-0
It’s been a tumultuous decade since Smith was named Young Boxer of the Year by the Boxing Writers’ Club in 2015. A tilt at world honours felt inevitable, but a shock points defeat to George Jupp in December of that year began a downward spiral for the Londoner.
The former super featherweight has been in prison three times, battled drink and drugs and his weight ballooned to 110kg. Smith only boxed once between May 2017 and last December. Now, back down closer to his prime fighting weight, he faces his first significant bout since Jupp and a true test of this would-be boxing redemption story.
Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
- Location: O2 Arena, London
- Time: 5 p.m.
- Main event start time (approx.): 10 p.m.
- Live stream: DAZN PPV
The Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley fight card will be available via DAZN PPV at a price of $59.99.
Non-subscribers buying the PPV get seven days of free access to the entire DAZN platform. A new customer buying the PPV and a DAZN annual subscription will get the first month of their subscription free.
A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $29.99 month-to-month in the United States. The annual subscription is $224.99.
