Fabio Wardley didn’t expect to board his flight to Dubai as the newest heavyweight world champion. But somewhere between luggage checks and boarding announcements at Heathrow Airport, the Ipswich fighter learned his life had changed.
Fresh off an 11th-round stoppage win over Joseph Parker the biggest victory of his career Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) was settling in with his partner and young daughter for a family holiday when his phone rang. On the other end was his management team, calling with the kind of news fighters dream about.
Oleksandr Usyk had vacated the WBO heavyweight title. Wardley, the interim titleholder, had just been elevated to world champion.