Fabio Wardley stuns fans with come from behind KO on wet and wild Ipswich return

Daily Mirror

9 hours ago

Fabio Wardley shocked the world with a come from behind knockout to defeat Justis Huni on a rainy night at Portman Road.
The British sensation was due to face Jarrell Miller, but the American was forced to pull out due to injury. In the sport of boxing, the show must go on - with Wardley eager to put on a performance in front of his beloved Ipswich faithful.
While there was not much to cheer about at Portman Road this year, Wardley lit up the town of Ipswich after putting on a career defining performance. The 30-year-old has called for the winner of Daniel Dubois' rematch with Oleksandr Usyk and it is fair to say that he has put the division on notice as he edges closer to a world title shot.
Huni - on paper - looked set to be the toughest test of Wardley's career. After establishing himself as a top prospect in his native Australia, tonight's contest marked his first fight on the UK shores. However, when the lights were at its brightest, the Ipswich pugilist and former recruitment worker shone in a big way.
As he marched to the centre of the ring, Wardley was greeted and roared on by his home faithful. The 30-year-old looked locked in from the very first bell. In the opening exchanges, the Brit was clearly looking for the right hand early in a bid to unsettle the man from Down Under. But back came the Aussie - who landed big left to the body followed by a huge right hand. In a close opening three minutes, a sharp right hand from Wardley may have given the Ipswich native the round.
Lovely left hook from the young Aussie got proceedings underway in the second. Despite all the boos, it was evident Huni was unfazed by all the negative noise. The 26-year-old's speed was on full force in the second, but on the pressure, Wardley fired back with a few sharp shots downstairs.
In close quarters, Wardley's power shots over the top seemed to land. But Huni showed that brave, warrior, spirit to remain calm and continue on the front foot. The Aussie silenced the Portman Road crowd early in the third after finding a home with the right hand, but the Brit showed real adversity, boxing sharply on the ropes before his hungry rival fired back with a big combination. Towards the back end, the Ipswich native had the 26-year-old under the cosh after a few right hands landed clean.
Huni came to silence the crowd, and it was his speed and sharpness that did just that in the early rounds. The heavyweight brawlers traded leather in close proximity in the fourth. Wardley had his success, but the Aussie's will to press forward caught the hometown favourite off-guard. Despite absorbing a huge right hand over the top, Huni took it clean on and fired back with his own combination.
Light on his feet, it was clear Huni was enjoying himself in the squared-circle. The Aussie was evidently licking his lips after seeing his British rival breathing heavily in the centre of the ring. Deep in the fifth, Wardley detonated a sharp left hook, but was clearly struggling with the pace.
Huni began to run away with it in the sixth. The speed, the jab, the footwork was on full display. The surging star snapped Wardley's head back with a stinging jab before landing two right hands on the button along with another right hand over the top. Wardley was looking out of ideas and was in desperate need of support from his home fans.
A double right hand forced Wardley back in the seventh as Huni continued to stalk his prey. Once again, the right hand was on full force from the Aussie - who was eager to draw quite the attention from the big boys in boxing's heaviest division.
In the co-main event Pierce O'Leary defeated Liam Dillon to claim the European super-lightweight champion. From start to finish, the Irishman was dominant and rarely looked in any real danger of being stopped. Elsewhere on the main card, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Lewis Richardson scored an impressive victory on his professional debut, while Mike Perez beat Steven Ward thanks to a vicious stoppage in the ninth round.
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