Newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley is expected to make his first title defense in the spring against an as-yet-undecided opponent. His promoter Frank Warren says it will be someone in “the top 10” facing Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs).
Earlier this week, on November 17, the WBO elevated Wardley to full champion after previous belt holder Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the title rather than defend against him. It was a smart move by him as there is a possibility that the 38-year-old would have lost to Wardley.
Wardley’s next opponent trio
- Daniel Dubois
- Filip Hrgovic
- Derek Chisora
The most attractive of those three would be former IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-3 21 KOs). He is coming off a humiliating fifth-round knockout loss to Usyk on July 19, 2025, and this may not be the ideal fight for ‘Dynamite’ to take under the current circumstances.
Daniel (28) did not seem mentally engaged during the Usyk clash. If he’s still haunted by that defeat, putting him in at Wardley would be the worst thing Queensberry could do. As he fared against Usyk, his career could be derailed by Wardley, who could knock him out in two or three rounds.
Chisora: A laughable option
Using the 41-year-old Chisora ​​​​(36-13, 23 KOs) as Wardley’s first challenger will lead to worldwide ridicule, as he does not judge a world title fight. He hasn’t beaten any highly rated fighters since his questionable 12-round split decision victory over the then 41-year-old Kubrat Pulev on July 9, 2022. Many boxing fans saw Chisora ​​as the loser in that fight, as did I. The fight took place in London, England.
Better options: Sanchez, Torrez Jr.
To keep the momentum going with Wardley’s career, he should focus on fighting one of these names next:
- Frank Sanchez
- Filip Hrgovic
- Richard Torrez Jr.
“Next for him will be a defense of the title, so he’ll have someone ranked in the top 10,” promoter Frank Warren said. Sky Sports about Fabio Wardley. “Hopefully we’ll do that in early spring.”
Wardley needs fresh blood
There are only three good options in the WBO’s top 15 ranking. The rest of them are a mix of older, played out heavyweights and some who probably wouldn’t be interested in fighting Wardley. He should stay away from defending 40+ year old heavyweights.
“They’re all good fights. You never see him in a boring fight. Every time he gets in the ring it’s pure excitement,” Warren said of Wardley. “His last three knockouts would probably be the number one, two and three knockouts of the year.
Last updated on 19/11/2025
