Fury’s wording suggested he was weighing up his options rather than promoting a fight.
On paper, Wardley presents a tough assignment for a 37-year-old heavyweight coming off a long absence and a loss to Oleksandr Usyk. In practical terms, the fit presents even more problems.
Wardley is not a faded title holder waiting to be managed. He is a high volume combination puncher with power, stamina and a willingness to force exchanges. He works at a steady pace and keeps his hands busy. He doesn’t rely on opponents giving him time to settle.
Those traits tend to cause problems for fighters who need time and control to manage rounds.
At his best, Fury controlled fights by slowing them down, leaning them, holding them and refusing to let opponents build any rhythm. That style depended on sharp timing, steady activity and ease under pressure. None of this can be taken for granted against a fighter like Wardley.
Fury has not fought since December 2024. His return is expected to come against a lower level opponent, which is standard after a long layoff. What stands out is the idea that a second fight later in the year could involve a reigning champion whose style is built around sustained pressure.
Wardley became WBO champion after upsetting Joseph Parker and was elevated when Usyk vacated the title. However the belt is ranked, the physical demand of fighting him is clear. Admitting this himself, Fury called Wardley a tough fight and noted that he had his own business to attend to.
The warning signs are already there in Wardley’s recent work. What he did to Joseph Parker showed how dangerous his approach can be once a fight gets physical. Parker was badly injured early on, to the point where the fight could be stopped within two rounds. Wardley stayed on him, throwing combinations without pause and forcing Parker to survive rather than settle. There was another moment later in the fight where Parker was in trouble again, only for the referee to step in and break up the action.
That fight matters because Parker can punch, and Fury can’t. Wardley walked through Parker’s power shots and continued to apply pressure without hesitation. He didn’t wait. He stayed in front of Parker and kept throwing. Against Fury shifts that dynamic even further. Wardley doesn’t have to worry about backfire in the same way. He was able to keep his hands going, pushing Fury back and forcing exchanges without paying much of a price.
Fury’s usual tools offer limited protection here. The leaning, grappling and short punches that once slowed opponents have already shown signs of erosion. They didn’t work against Francis Ngannou, who overran Fury and met him with short shots of his own. Fury survived that night, but the control was gone. Against a younger heavyweight who throws in volume and doesn’t stop coming, those habits become harder to rely on.
Fury spoke about assessing himself after a comeback fight before taking on Wardley later in the year. One fight rarely restores timing, conditioning and sharpness all at once, and those limits can quickly show against an opponent who applies pressure from the opening round.
Wardley is discussed because he fits what Fury believes he can still take on.
If Fury moves in this direction, it will show how he now views himself as a fighter. It will also put pressure on whether confidence can compensate for age, inactivity and a difficult style match. For once Fury sounds like someone talking himself into danger.
