Fabio Wardley pulled off a dramatic comeback victory against Justis Huni with a stunning tenth-round knockout, despite being outboxed for most of the fight.
"I don't profess to be any kind of Usyk or Justis Huni... someone with all the skills. But one thing I do know is how to win fights, dig deep, find a bit of heart, bite down on the gumshield, find a way to win," Wardley explained after the bout.
The 30-year-old British fighter entered Saturday's contest as the clear favorite at Portman Road in his hometown of Ipswich, where he faced the Australian challenger for the vacant interim WBA heavyweight title. Huni was a late replacement for Jarrell Miller.
Despite the home advantage, Wardley found himself in trouble early. Justis Huni controlled the action from the opening bell, consistently outworking the hometown favorite in the rain-soaked arena.
The numbers tell the story. Huni landed 159 punches from 342 thrown across ten rounds, while Wardley connected with just 117 of his 330 attempts. Even more telling? Huni landed 114 power punches throughout the fight, more than doubling Wardley's 49.
Interestingly, Wardley only managed to outpunch his opponent in two rounds of the entire contest. His output noticeably declined after throwing 64 punches in the third round.
By the final round, all three judges had Huni comfortably ahead on the scorecards. The Australian seemed moments away from victory.
Then came the turning point. With his unbeaten record hanging in the balance, Wardley uncorked a massive right hand that sent Huni crashing to the canvas. Game over.
"I should have performed better in some of the rounds. It's not always the way it goes. Sometimes you just need to find a different way to win," admitted the British boxer, nicknamed "The Barista."
This victory – Wardley's 18th knockout in 19 professional fights – potentially sets him up for a shot at the winner of next month's unification bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
Can Wardley's punching power make up for his technical deficiencies against the division's elite? His ability to pull victory from the jaws of defeat suggests he can never be counted out – even when the scorecards suggest otherwise.
