‘I love the chaos' – Why Fabio Wardley's fight with Justis Huni won't even be the biggest night of his month
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FABIO WARDLEY has the two most important nights of his life inside the next 10 DAYS.
Ipswich's 30-year-old former recruitment worker and white-collar boxer headlines Portman Road on Saturday night against tough Australian Justis Huni.
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Fabio Wardley ahead of fighting Justis Huni
Credit: Getty
And on June 16 his partner is scheduled to give birth to his first child, a bouncing baby girl.
For anyone else, the nail-biting fortnight would be a crippling rollercoaster of emotions impossible to combine.
But the Suffolk Puncher - who went on an Oleksandr Usyk sparring trip to Ukraine in 2018 when he barely knew how to throw a jab - is loving the chaos.
The class act told SunSport: 'June 2025 is going to be a wild month I talk a lot about, for the rest of my life.
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Wardley vs Huni All the details you need ahead of huge homecoming bout
'I will be an old man in a rocking chair, telling people about it and wondering how we pulled it off.
'Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn't have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.'
Nine months ago, the 18-0-1 ace got the wonderful news he would be a dad for the first time.
And a few weeks later he got the offer of a lifetime, to headline at his boyhood football club, a chance that some Olympic and world champions never get.
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Wardley and his girlfriend are expecting their first child together
Credit: Instagram @fabiowardley
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It seems like a psychological and logistical nightmare that would be destined for the divorce courts but Team Wardley is way too tight.
'If my little girl is anything like me, then she'll be chilled out and late, which will give me a little bit more time to decompress from the fight,' he grinned.
Fabio Wardley faces off with Justis Huni ahead of his homecoming fight
'The flight date has been moved around a few times but my missus has been unbelievable.
'I have just promised to her that, as soon as Saturday night is over, I am all theirs.
'This week, though, is just my week. I need to be totally focused on me and then it's all on them.'
Wardley - who cracked 2020 Olympic bronze winner Frazer Clarke's skull in their one-round rematch in October - somehow combines being a brutal boxer with being a lovely bloke and he insists that won't change with another win or a baby.
'I don't know how parenthood will affect me,' he said. 'I do plan to be the fun-dad though. I want mum to do the telling off.
'I think I will always be driven to push myself in everything, though.
Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn't have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.
'That's something just innate in me. And I am sure I will need to feed and stoke that fire regularly.'
One thing Wardley would NEVER do, despite the baffling suggestion from some clumsy pundits, is fight his mentor and pal Dillian Whyte.
After following all of Wardley's career, we were stunned to hear the idea even mooted and Wardley floored it.
'You're 100 per cent right, for once.' he laughed.
'From the second it would be announced, everybody who knows the sport and who knows us, would know it would be fake and not something I would ever do, because of the amount of love, respect and admiration I have for Dills.
'People go on about my story, white-collar, coming from nowhere, sparring Usyk.
"But none of that is possible without Dillian at the beginning, giving me all of these opportunities. So I would never spit in his face and fight him.
'Even if all the sanctioning bodies called for the fight and somebody was silly enough to put all the money up, I would take a knee in the first round and give him the win.'
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Scottish Sun
37 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
We were poor against Iceland and I understand why Scotland fans can booed us – everyone has to take responsibility
JOHN SOUTTAR insists ALL of Scotland's players are to blame for their horror 3-1 defeat to Iceland - not just cock-up keeper Cieran Slicker. The Ipswich reserve goalie won his first cap as an early sub for crocked Angus Gunn but had a nightmare evening. 3 John Souttar reacts at full-time Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 He scored Scotland's only goal in the game Credit: PA 3 He's jumped to under-fire Cieran Slicker's defence Credit: Getty Slicker was to blame for all three of Iceland's goals, including a bizarre third which went right through him. But Souttar - who briefly levelled with a first-half header - maintains the 22-year-old shouldn't be singled out because EVERYONE was shocking. He said: 'I've not spoken to him, to be honest, but tonight was collective and everyone has to take responsibility. 'Will it be a learning experience for him? I'm sure it will be and everyone has had it in their career. 'But the result is collective, I don't think any of us could say we were great in the game so it's on all of us. 'We were poor tonight. 'I don't think we did enough on the ball, we didn't create enough chances, Iceland kept the ball better than us and moved us about. 'Games like this at Hampden, we want to dominate, press high and get the crowd going. 'But tonight we didn't do that. 'It's difficult, boys have played all season but Iceland have been the same, their players have been playing all season. Laser shone in the eyes of Scott Tominay during match but it 'didn't put him off' 'We have to go into the game on Monday against Liechtenstein and get some momentum back ahead of the internationals in September.' The Tartan Army made their feelings about the performance obvious, booing Clarke's team off at half-time and again at the end. And Souttar has no complaints about anyone venting their fury. He said: 'It's not great and you don't want to be part of that. 'But the fans are great, they pay their money so they can boo if they want. 'We were not good enough first half. 'It's not great to hear but it's part and parcel of football. 'The fans are great when we win.' Scotland have shipped six goals in their last two games and beyond the keeper crisis, Steve Clarke's defence is creaking badly. Souttar knows they have to be miles better when the World Cup qualifiers kick off against Denmark in September. And if it's not their qualification hopes will quickly go up in smoke. How they rated Angus Gunn - Came for a cross in the first minute but crumpled with an ankle problem so was unable to continue. Terrible timing given he is without a club having left Norwich. 1 Max Johnston - Given his chance on the right hand side and made a positive impact. Will be disappointed he didn't make more of a back post chance to score. A decent start. 6 John Souttar - Showed great strength inside the box to hold off his marker and head home Max Johnston's wicked corner. Will be furious at the goals Scotland lost. 5 Grant Hanley - Tried to show Andri Gudjohnsen inside after Cieran Slicker's poor kick but ended up with egg on his face as he whipped it into the top corner from 25 yards. Grim night. 4 Kieran Tierney - 50th cap and a poor occasion to hit that milestone. Matched Albert Gudmindsson's runs all night before going off for debut man Lennon Miller in the closing stages. 5 Andy Robertson - Bombed up and down the left flank as he usually does but final balls were lacking the precision to really hurt Iceland. Skipper has to drag Scotland's defence out of this rot. 5 John McGinn - Patrolled the middle of the park as he usually does but nothing really came off for him high up the pitch. Scotland will need him refreshed and flying in September. 5 Billy Gilmour - Did precisely what you expect from him now. Kept possession and the ball ticking over as the link man all over the pitch. Below his best like so many. 5 Lewis Ferguson - Didn't know much about it at the own goal which put Iceland back in front. Unlucky as a comedy pinball moment saw the ball crack off him and squirm past Cieran Slicker. 5 Scott McTominay - Started on the left of midfield, tasked with supporting George Hirst. Few flashes of what he can do but a big game player so he keeps the real heroics for when it counts. 5 George Hirst - Missed an early header then denied his first Scotland goal by two great saves from the Iceland goalie then an offside call after scoring. Showed he's got some promise. 6 Subs: Cieran Slicker (Gunn 6) - Debut didn't go to plan, that's for sure. Poor kick for the opener, flailing at the second, even worse at the third. Difficult not to feel sorry for him at times. 2 Lennon Miller (Tierney 67) - First cap. 3 Scott McKenna (Hanley 67) - Shored it up a bit late on. 3 Che Adams (Hirst 67) - No chances. 3 Nathan Patterson (Johnston 79) - Replaced Johnston. 2 Tommy Conway (McTominay 79) - On for McTominay. 2 He said: 'We went through a spell where were keeping clean sheets and defending well towards the end of the last campaign. 'Even against Greece in the first game we defended well. 'But the last two games haven't been good enough and everyone is well aware of that. 'We need to be better, this was a friendly but it's important we put it right in September because that's the big one. 'I'm sure if we do that there will be a much better atmosphere. 'You never want to go into a game wanting to lose, never. 'But if this time next year we are in a good position to go a World Cup then things will feel a lot better. 'It's always important when you play for your country, the next few months are huge because the games are coming again in September. 'We need to get some momentum going again.' Gunn hobbled off after twisting his ankle in the first minute and now faces trying to find a club while nursing an injury. The keeper will become a free agent this summer after Norwich didn't offer him a new deal so Souttar hopes he makes a speedy recovery. He said: 'It has been a long season and the last thing you want towards the end of it is losing players to injury. 'Hopefully Gunny is okay but obviously it was a blow losing our keeper.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Scotland goalkeeper Cieran Slicker has debut to forget in home defeat to Iceland
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Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Kasey McAteer scores as Republic of Ireland and Senegal play out draw in Dublin
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