By Eóin Kennedy
British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley, catapulted himself into the top ten of The Ring Magazine’s rankings of that division and in turn the conversation surrounding the man from Ipswich, England has started to get a little giddy. Some pundits have started to speculate as to whether he has replaced Deontay Wilder as the most fearsome puncher amongst the heavyweights. That’s hyperbole, at least for now, but Wardley can certainly bang and the first-round knock-out victory over Frazer Clarke last Saturday and the scary scene that we witnessed as the referee waved fight off with Clarke frozen on the ropes with a visibly broken jaw prove that he has power. Thankfully Clarke is okay and will live to fight another day, he’s good personality that adds to the sport. But as distinguished an amateur boxer Frazer Clarke was and even though he is an Olympic medalist, he was still only lacing up for his tenth fight in the pro ranks last weekend gainst Wardley. It’s important Fabio Wardley’s team take that into consideration when selecting his next opponent. He’s on the scene now and can legitimately start calling out household names but moving in a calculated way rather than going for the jugular too soon would make sense for Wardley. He’s a young fighter in a division where careers can easily go until 40 years old. There’s money to be mad at heavyweight, serious money, so while everyone is excited about the division’s newest explosive knock-out artist, he would be wise to move cautiously, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Let’s take a look at some options that make sense.
- Kubrat Pulev
Hear me out. Yes, the big Bulgarian brute, Kubrat Pulev, is a beaten docket but that’s perfect for this stage of Fabio Wardley’s career. Wardley started late at boxing and only came to the sport through the white-collar route. I won’t bore you with the details, there are plenty of Eddie Hearn interviews on YouTube that will fill you in, but the point I’m making is that there’s still quite a bit learning that needs to be done. Pulev, at this stage of his career, likely won’t be able to cope with the youth, energy and athleticism of Wardley but he is seasoned war-horse in the way Frazer Clarke wasn’t. Before Wardley elevates to challenge the elite of the sport, he should take a course in the dark arts of boxing with Kubrat Pulev. It’s a logical next step in a flourishing career. Pulev is rumored to have a December fight scheduled against Mahmoud Charr, who for some mysterious reason has a strange hold over the WBA and their pointless secondary world title. Let’s see what happens with that one but if Pulev comes through he would be a sensible next step and move Wardley closer to mandatory challenger status with the WBA. I guess Charr would also suffice should he prevail but he seems more checked out than Pulev.
2. Joe Joyce
Joe Joyce can act as cautionary tale to his compatriot Wardley, he gathered steam like a locomotive in the last few years but was ground to a shuddering halt by Zhilei Zhang. That’s not a criticism of Joyce, he’s an older man than Wardley with less time on his side so it made sense that he would take on fellow fighters ranked in the top ten of the division, but the current British and Commonwealth champion is in a different boat. Peculiarly, Joyce now finds himself in a position where he is seen as a gatekeeper among the giants of boxing. Two losses to Zhang and more significantly, a hard fought draw with Dereck Chisora have plummeted Joyce’s standing amongst the heavyweights. Joyce is eager to burst back into world title reckoning and may see Wardley as a vehicle to do so. Wardley should be looking at the physically damaged Joyce the right opponent at the right time.
3. Andy Ruiz Jr
Andy Ruiz Jr will always be able to say that he once was a unified world heavyweight champion which is an incredible thing for any man to be able to claim, but what has transpired in his career since winning those belts has been a travesty. Ruiz has squandered the opportunity to build on the greatest night of his career in Madison Square Garden, and has found himself struggling with fighters such as Chris Arreola and Jarell Miller since. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be for Ruiz after his shock knockout win over Anthony Joshua, but this is how it has played out. Presumably Ruiz hasn’t exactly been a model pro and indiscipline will catch up on anyone, particularly a man with Ruiz’ doughy physique. He’s been inactive and inconsistent in recent years and if Wardley were to take him on and get the victory it would be another string to his bow; defeating a former world champion. Eddie Hearn will probably deem Ruiz too dangerous for Wardley at this stage of his career. Heran will vividly recall what Ruiz did to his golden goose in New York City and won’t be in any rush to pair Wardley with him regardless of recent inconsistency. It would be a fascinating match-up though and a good barometer of where both men are at.
4. Oleksandr Zakhozhyi/Arnold Gjergjaj
I’m not going to lie and pretend I know too much about either Oleksandr Zakhozhyi or Arnold Gjergjaj but these two men will be battling one another next month for the former’s European heavyweight title. Given that Wardley is already the British and Commonwealth champion, the next logical step on the ladder of progression is to fight for, and win the European title. Regardless of how little we know about the Ukranian, Zakhozhyi, and Swizterland’s Gjergjaj, Fabio Wardley will be confident that given the momentum he has from winning and doing so against tougher opposition, he will be able to beat either man and add another belt to his collection.