Fabio Wardley says Fury can’t beat him or Usyk now

Wardley has made it clear he will take the fight if it comes his way, but his view of the result is straightforward. “If Fury beats Makhmudov on Saturday, I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls me out, and I’ll be 100% up for that fight later in the year,” he told the BBC. “I was the one who said yes, and Fury was actually the one who said, ‘Let me have some time, I’ve had a year out, let me have a warm-up.’

Even with that possibility on the table, Wardley doesn’t see Fury closing the gap against the top names.

“But while it’s good to have Fury back in a boxing ring, in the current state of the heavyweight division, I can’t see Fury becoming a world champion again. He’ll have to fight either Usyk or me, and do I think he can beat either of us? No,” Wardley said.

Oleksandr Usyk still holds the rest of the major belts, having already beaten Fury twice. Wardley pointed to that reality when discussing the likely route back. Without a win over either of them, Fury would need a title to become vacant to find a way in.

“If the titles are broken and Fury fights someone like Lawrence Okolie or Agit Kabayel for a vacant belt, then yes, he can become champion,” Wardley said. “But the priority for me will always be an undisputed fight against Usyk. I want to test myself against the best in the world.”

Wardley is scheduled to defend his title against Daniel Dubois next month on May 9, while Fury’s return against Makhmudov will signal how much remains after another period of inactivity. The outcome of these two fights is expected to determine whether their paths cross or remain separate later this year as the division continues to move around them.