Teddy Atlas Gives Honest Take On Controversial Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley Finish

Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley were the headline act in London on Saturday night as the heavyweight contenders competed in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds.

Both the New Zealand native and the Englishman delivered at the O2, as the pair had an enthralling back-and-forth affair, as long as it lasted.

It was back-to-back comeback victories for Wardley in 2025, as he was able to come from behind on the scorecards to score an 11th-round finish over the former world champion. However, the stoppage was shrouded in controversy as many feel it was a premature stoppage.

Now, legendary boxing coach Teddy Atlas has weighed in on the debate.

Teddy Atlas Praises Both Joseph Parker And Fabio Wardley Amid Stoppage Controversy

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Teddy Atlas recapped the headline bout, which took place in London on Saturday night.

Atlas began by saying it was 'destiny' that Wardley got the stoppage, given that Parker had been hurt earlier in the fight and may have been 'helped'.

"Maybe he [Parker] got a little help from the mouthpiece coming out and the referee giving him time to recover because he was retrieving the mouthpiece [in round two]." Atlas added, "That's fate. That's destiny. What's meant to be, is meant to be," concerning Wardley getting the stoppage later in the fight."

The boxing coach then touched on the controversy regarding the stoppage and questioned whether the fighters' nationalities may have played a role in the concluding moments.

"Yes, you could make an argument that it was stopped too soon. You could say, but he [Parker] was hurt. You could ask the question: if Parker were the one from the UK, instead of the outsider, would the ref have stopped it?"
Teddy Atlas

Atlas added that he feels this is a consistent issue in boxing. "It's a question that, unfortunately, the sport begs to ask sometimes."

Credit was then given to both fighters by Atlas, as he said, "I'm not taking anything away from the heart and the resilience of both fighters. I'm not doing that, I can't."

Regarding Wardley's actions, Atlas heaped praise on the white-collar boxer. "You have to behave like a champ. Wardley did that. So he earned the right not to be questioned, because he did what he could control... He was hurt several times, and he survived it."

The durability of both men was also the subject of praise from Atlas. "Parker showed an unbelievable chin throughout the night, so did Wardley. Both of them, just granite chins."

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