What Lies Ahead for the Heavyweight Division After Wardley's Victory?
The British boxer Fabio Wardley has thrust himself into the heavyweight title conversation after a stunning 11th-round stoppage win against former champion Joseph Parker at the O2 Arena in London.
This impressive victory extended Wardley's undefeated record to 21 professional bouts—20 wins and a draw—with an impressive 19 stoppages.
Wardley also captured Parker's interim WBO championship and is now in line for a life-changing opportunity against undefeated undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.
But will Wardley get his shot at the reigning two-division champion?
What other fights are happening? And what other bouts might be possible?
Will Usyk Fight Wardley?
The champion impressed again when defeating Daniel Dubois by stoppage to become a repeat undisputed heavyweight titleholder in the summer.
Shortly after that win, the WBO ordered the 38-year-old to begin negotiations for a title defense against his mandatory opponent Parker.
But the fighter suffered a back issue and was granted an extended period to negotiate with Parker's camp.
The champion stated recently he wanted to fight for another two years but did not plan to step back into the ring in 2025.
The WBO has not made a fresh call for Usyk to negotiate with his mandatory challenger, but might act shortly following Wardley's win.
Wardley made no secret of his desire to face the champion next after his latest win.
"I have one thing to say - Usyk, Usyk," he said in his post-fight interview.
Former cruiserweight champion Usyk may even choose to avoid Wardley.
If he does, the WBO could force him to vacate their belt and upgrade Wardley to champion.
If that scenario plays out then ex-IBF titleholder Dubois could become a possible contender for Wardley.
Which Bouts Are Confirmed?
With the champion still deciding his next fight, the heavyweight scene has stalled.
There are no world-level fights on the agenda in the final two months of 2025.
There is a British heavyweight title contest on 29 November when Frazer Clarke and Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva meet at Derby's Vaillant Arena.
The fight was initially planned for October 25th before Tshikeva suffered an injury.
The rescheduled event will be broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer, marking the first event in a new partnership between BBC Sport and Boxxer.
When Will Joshua Fight Next?
The fight community anticipates updates on a bout schedule for former champion Anthony Joshua.
Joshua has not fought since his devastating fifth-round knockout defeat at the hands of compatriot Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
The 36-year-old had elbow surgery in spring and there have been murmurs about a possible date in December.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said it's "50-50 he will return for a warm-up fight this year", but also hinted Joshua could be added to a card in California on 13 December or possibly to an event in Saudi Arabia on 27 December.
"It might not even be something we announce weeks and weeks before because that defeats the object," the promoter stated to media.
"He is in the gym and he is staying ready so we could say 'you're out in two weeks in an eight-rounder'."
Joshua has made clear his intention to fight in Africa, but it is doubtful he'll appear on the anticipated Ghana event on December 20th.
His dream of fighting on the continent may have to be postponed until early next year.
When Could Itauma Fight Next?
Young prospect Moses Itauma is Britain's next great heavyweight hope—but the 20-year-old is yet to finalise his next contest.
Itauma further enhanced his reputation with a quick knockout of Dillian Whyte in August, extending his unbeaten record to 13 victories with 11 knockouts.
In the wake of that impressive victory, Itauma was linked with bouts against several top contenders.
His team explored a December bout, with veteran Chisora indicating they might appear together on 13 December in Manchester.
But that date is now in doubt for the Chatham heavyweight, who is discovering the complexities of boxing negotiations.
WBA 'regular' champion Kubrat Pulev was mandated to defend his title against Itauma on October 14th, but the 44 year-old has announced plans to fight Russian Murat Gassiev on December 12th.
The WBA order means both sides have 30 days to negotiate a deal.
Queensberry's Frank Warren, who represents Itauma, told media outlets that "Pulev has to fight Moses next with London and Manchester possible host cities".
Itauma has also been mentioned as a possible challenger for the unified champion, but the Ukrainian downplayed those rumours earlier this month.
As for Chisora, he was present at the O2 Arena alongside fellow British heavyweight Whyte and American Jarrell Miller before Wardley's win over Parker.
Speaking about future bouts and a potential trilogy fight, Chisora said "yes, if the contract is right", before adding that it will "100% happen in December".
Has Tyson Fury Actually Retired?
Predicting what happens next for Tyson Fury has never been easy.
The former world champion declared his retirement in January after losing against Usyk for a second time a month earlier.
Over the recent months, Fury has teased comebacks and then subsequently backtracked.
Fury has expressed interest in fighting Joshua before stating he has achieved everything he wanted to and is content to remain outside the ring.
During a recent interview on FurociTV, Fury said there was "no actual reason for me to go back in the boxing ring".
But the 37-year-old was ringside to watch Wardley's win against associate and sparring partner Parker—and that could have sparked his interest.