Wardley has since said he plans to return in April and wants a recognized name to that fight. In interviews, he has repeatedly named Usyk and Fury as his preferred opponents, describing both as the kind of tests that define a reign rather than embellish it.
“I would more than welcome that,” Wardley said Sky Sports from Fury. “It will be a fight I’m really looking forward to. He’s one of the top players. Call me anytime.”
The problem is that neither man seems interested in moving in Wardley’s direction. Usyk is expected to pursue a limited run of legacy fights, with Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua all ahead of Wardley in commercial value. Fury, meanwhile, is expected to return via a controlled tune-up, with the same two names sitting above all others on his list.
For Fury, the calculation is obvious. Veg Wardley risks everything and wins little. The money fights already exist. There is no reason to gamble them away.
Wardley also mentioned Daniel Dubois as a possible alternative, suggesting a fight could be built later in the year if circumstances allow. But Dubois is coming off a stoppage loss to Usyk and is in no position to face another high-risk opponent without rebuilding first. On Dubois’ part, this would be a dangerous decision. From Wardley’s it would still feel like a compromise.
That leaves Wardley in a familiar spot for a new heavyweight champion. He has the belt. He has momentum. What he doesn’t have yet is leverage.
Usyk said he wanted to fight three more times before walking away. Unless one of those plans collapses, Wardley is likely on the outside looking in. Fury’s path looks even narrower.
Wardley can name the biggest names. He probably should. But the division rarely rewards that kind of honesty. For now, the title makes him important. That does not make him inevitable.
