Usyk’s Sidelining Creates A Detour For Joseph Parker And An Opening For Fabio Wardley

Queensberry promoter Frank Warren says he doubts that Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the remainder of 2025 due to an injury.

Warren states that undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) has asked the WBO to take a timeout because of his injury. This directly impacts WBO mandatory Joseph Parker, as he had hoped to challenge Usyk for his title this year.

Usyk’s Injury Timeout

“[Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk] asked for time out from the WBO because of an injury, and he provided evidence, and that’s the position at the moment,” Queensberry promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports.”Will he fight before the end of the year? I very much doubt it.”

While Usyk is recovering from his injury, WBA interim champion Fabio Wardley and WBO interim champion Parker are in negotiations to fight on October 25, 2025, at the O2 Arena in London.

Warren is impressed with how Parker and Wardley are willing to take a risky fight while Usyk is out. Both are in positions to challenge for his world title and could wait until next year if they wanted to.

The Heavyweight Division’s New Direction

“That says a lot about them, but that happens in this heavyweight division. The fighters are fighting each other; no one’s ducking anybody. They’re happening and we’re making them happen and they’re making them happen,” Warren said. “Everybody wants to see these fights, and we’re working very hard to deliver.”

I wouldn’t go so far as to say “everybody” wants to watch Parker fight Wardley. Many of the fans would prefer to see Parker fight Moses Itauma, Agit Kabayel, or Daniel Dubois. Understandably, those are fights that would attract more interest due to a combination of popularity and proven records.

Wardley’s Limited Competition History

Wardley, 30, hasn’t beaten any notable fighters during his career, choosing to operate at the British domestic level rather than the world level. He appears to be a good basic slugger, but his first fight against Frazer Clarke on March 31, 2024, showed the level he’s fighting at.

Fabio’s Best Wins

• Frazer Clarke
• Justis Huni
• David Adeleye
• Eric Molina
• Nathan Gorman

Wardley absorbed a lot of punishment in the fight against the big, slow 266-lb Clarke. His face was a bloody mess by the end of the contest, which was scored a 12-round majority draw. Again, not “everybody” wants to see Parker vs. Wardley. Fans would like to see other matchups involving Parker.