FABIO Wardley has gone from working in a recruitment office and competing in white collar boxing to being on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s mega-money showdown with Frances Ngannou.
Here we take a look at the Ipswichian’s life, meteoric rise and boxing career.
Fabio Wardley defeated Michael Polite Coffie to claim the WBA Continental Heavyweight TitleRichard Pelham / The Sun
Who is Fabio Wardley?
Fabio Wardley, born on December 18, 1994, is a professional boxer from Ipswich, England.
He has been the British Heavyweight Champion since beating Nathan Gorman in 2022.
But just eight years ago Wardley was working as a recruitment consultant and playing football at the weekends, before doing four unlicensed fights for fun.
At the age of 22 he decided a desk job wasn’t for him and pursued a dramatic career change.
On Saturday, October 28 he defends his British heavyweight title against David Adeleye on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, where Mike Tyson will be in the Cameroon MMA fighter’s corner.
The Suffolk puncher, who credits being mentored by Dillian Whyte for his incredible career turnaround, is now not far off a world title shot.
“It’s a funny old world,” he grinned.
“It has been a wild ride and I’m really proud of it and happy to be able to ride it to the full extent.
“I started on small-hall shows selling tickets, little obscure shows in the middle of nowhere.
“I used to look at big shows and thing to myself ‘maybe I’ll have one big fight… I’ll have one big fight and end my career there’.
“I thought I might fight for the Southern Area or the English or maybe the British but it would be just one big fight, the last dance of my career.
“But now I’ve done it 10 times over. I just kept my head down and kept grinding and by the time I looked up I realised I’m in the thick of it.
“I always say I feel like I’ve gone from one side of the TV to the other.
“I’ve gone from being someone sat there watching it to the one in the main event. It’s a funny old world.”
Only a couple of years ago Wardley’s best boxing credentials were sparring sessions with Whyte and Oleksandr Usyk, but if he beats Adeleye he’ll be near the front of the queue for a world title shot if a December undisputed decider between Fury and Usyk leads to the belts being fragmented.
On the subject, Fabio said: “The division will be wide open in a couple of years.
“All the big names are at the back end of their careers.
“They all have maybe 1-2 years left, a few big fights each and then they will say ‘I’m good’.
“That leaves the door open for me and a few others in the division to move forward. Especially in British boxing, I’m at the forefront and I’m the next one.
“It’s a great position for me to be in. I can have a few more learning fights, tick off awesome milestones and by the time those doors open I’ll be fully fledged and ready to go.
“The big boys are still there doing their thing but I’m not that many steps behind.
“It’s an interesting thought and a funny place to be – in four or five fights fighting for a world title. It’s quite a surreal moment to stop and have a look at.”
What is Fabio Wardley’s boxing record?
At present Fabio’s immaculate record stands at 16 wins, 0 loses, and 0 draws, meaning he is currently undefeated.
During those 16 wins Wardley has stopped 15 of his opponents, so his current knock-out ratio is 93.75%.
In total he’s boxed 42 rounds, meaning his professional fights last 2.6 rounds on average.
How heavy is Fabio Wardley?
Fabio has been putting on weight over his boxing career, generally getting heavier at each weigh-in before his professional fights.
At his last fight against Michael Polite Coffie, Wardley topped the scales at 242.6 pounds.
He competes as a professional boxer in the heavyweight division.
What belts does Fabio Wardley have?
Fabio currently holds two belts.
Wardley has been the British Heavyweight Champion since beating Nathan Gorman in 2022.
In 2023 he added the WBA Continental Heavyweight Title to his collection by defeating Michael Polite Coffie.
Fabio puts his Lonsdale Belt on the line against David Adeleye on October 28.
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