Online Reporter
FABIO WARDLEY celebrated his last incredible comeback win by delivering a baby – and is going mark his latest master stroke by making another.
The Ipswich hero averted a Portman Road disaster in June by starching Justis Huni in the tenth round when he was well behind on the cards.
And that following Wednesday – after just two days of solid rest and recovery – he and his partner welcomed a little girl into the world.
This Saturday, Wardley endured a hellacious war with 18st 10lb Kiwi cruncher Joseph Parker and was behind on two of the cards and level on the third going into the eleventh.
But he went to the well once again and dragged himself out of the deepest and roughest Pacific water.
And he laughed with manager Michael Ofo when asked how different this hard-earned recuperation will be this time around.
As his coach joked about “making another one,” he giggled from under dark designer glasses and a face of bruises, appearing to agree with the suggestion.
A beaming Wardley added: “It’s a very different life now I am a dad. This has been my first ever week away from my baby, so it has been a weird one.
“I have missed them tremendously and I am just really looking forward to getting back to them.”
Wardley’s boxing career has been the stuff of Rocky fantasy.
He didn’t had a single amateur fight, started off with four white collar bouts in Suffolk clubs and still modestly says that he is learning on the hardest job in the world.
If he does get his deserved crack at Oleksandr Usyk – the 2012 Olympic gold winner, undisputed cruiserweight boss, two-time undisputed heavyweight ruler and veteran of at least 100 amateur bouts – he would be a longshot underdog of the highest order.
Now the WBO and Usyk – who also holds the WBC, WBA and IBF crowns – need to prove they are true to their words and mandatory challenges and orders.
And Wardley will fulfil a lifetime ambition of giving the undefeated icon – who did doubles over giant genius Tyson Fury, powerhouse Anthony Joshua and knockout artist Daniel Dubois – the toughest challenge his incredible heart, chin and freakish punch power can muster.
“That has been the goal for a number of years now,” he said about taking up the test that 24 previous opponents have failed. “That’s been the objective, that’s been everything I’ve wanted. We’re there now.
“It’s a wild one to say because he is one of THE generational talents, he’s one of the best to ever do it and the fight will be for all of the marbles.
“There’s nothing more I could ask for, there’s nothing more I could want within this sport, everything I have worked for has led me to here.
“All I’ve ever asked for is the opportunity, and I’ve got that now. And I’m not planning on stopping here.
“I’m not planning on getting in the ring with Usyk and saying ‘thanks for having me’ and just rolling over. That’s just not what I’m about. I think you saw that in this fight.
“So when that bell does go – and me and Usyk do finally get in the ring – he’s gonna have to work for it.”- Sun
