Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley Fight Date Set For Clash of Interim Heavyweight Champions

A definitive No. 1 contender to the undisputed heavyweight title could be crowned this fall, as a bout between two top heavyweights is being finalized.

Queensberry Promotions is reportedly close to finalizing a fight between former WBO champion Joseph Parker and undefeated contender Fabio Wardley. The Ring Magazine has reported that the fight is set for Oct. 25 at the O2 Arena in London, England.

‼️ Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley is on the verge being finalised for a heavyweight clash on October 25th at The O2 Arena in London, The Ring has learned. pic.twitter.com/N6PBG0kGqw
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) September 1, 2025

Both boxers are currently ranked in the top 10 of the The Ring Magazine's heavyweight ratings, with Parker at No. 2 and Wardley at No. 7. They are also both interim champions in the division, Parker holding the WBO interim strap and Wardley the WBA interim titleholder.

Aside from the obvious Oleksandr Usyk matchup at stake, the fight could prove to have higher stakes.

High Risk Fight That Could Stop Parker's Resurgence

Joseph Parker (left) fights with Faiga Opelu during their Heavyweight bout at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. | IMAGO / AAP

Since being knocked out by Joe Joyce back on Sept. 24th, 2022, Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) has had a career resurgence back up the heavyweight ladder.

The 33-year-old is on a six-fight winning streak that includes victories over former WBC champion Deontay Wilder and the hard hitting Zhilei Zhang to win the interim WBO title. Most recently, the New Zealander stopped Martin Bakolie in the second round on Feb. 26th.

For at least year now, Parker has been at the top of list to be granted a title shot against Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), but circumstances and the business of boxing has always put a halt to those plans. From Daniel Dubois' meteoric rise to the IBF title, to the Usyk's back-to-back fights with Tyson Fury, Parker has been on the shelves when it comes to making the top fight.

And despite Parker's hot-run of form, fighting the best the division has to offer, this bout against Wardley could prove to be the riskiest. While he's faced heavy hitters in his last three fights, Wardley proves to be the most athletic, mixing power, speed, agility and skill together. It'll be the first time during this run where he won't be considered the faster boxer, making this matchup a high risk-high reward ordeal.

Despite the risk, Parker has defied the odds, with his wins against Wilder, Zhang and Bakolie. Not to mention that he is the veteran going into this matchup, and has been at the world stage before whereas Wardley has yet to be in such a high profile fight.

This fight could prove to be a defining moment for the former WBO champion.

The Next Era of the Heavyweight Division Could Start With Wardley

Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs) is coming off a dramatic knockout win against Justis Huni on June 7th, in a fight where he was down on the cards drastically. That victory also saw the undefeated Englishman claim the vacate interim WBA title.

For a while, Wardley was considered a high level heavyweight at the British level, but it would be his back-to-back matchups with Frazer Clarke that put the Ipswich native on the map.

In their first encounter on March 31st, 2024, the two heavyweights fought to a split draw, a bloody war that saw both guys batter each other with haymakers. The rematch, however, was a different story, with Wardley knocking out Clarke in the first round on Oct. 12th, 2024.

Along with Moses Itauma, Wardley is garnering a lot of hype as the next British heavyweights to take the throne. His mix of speed, athleticism and the ability to change the momentum of a fight with one punch, makes him must-watch.

A win against Parker not only puts him next in line for a undisputed world title shot, but it also solidifies that he is no longer as a prospect, but a perennial contender at heavyweight. It could also begin to introduce this next generation of heavyweights into the top of the division and begin ushering in the new era.

Both Parker and Wardley are promoted by Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, and the bout would be streamed live on DAZN.

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