Fabio Wardley pulled off a stunning upset victory as he knocked out Joseph Parker on Saturday.
The two heavyweights met at The O2 Arena in London, in a fight where former world heavyweight champion Parker was seen as a favourite heading into the bout with unbeaten Wardley.
It seemed that would come to fruition as Parker won the majority of the rounds, but just like when Wardley knocked out Justis Huni back in June, he clawed it back and managed to secure a dramatic 11th round stoppage win, though some believe it may have been early.
The victory has now seemingly made Wardley the frontrunner to land a clash against undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next year.
Here’s how some of the big names from the boxing world reacted to the win:
Fabio Wardley
Fabio Wardley CALLS OUT Oleksandr Usyk! 🗣
He is now the WBO mandatory challenger to the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion 👑#ParkerWardleypic.twitter.com/mAxK8OjF0Q
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 25, 2025
Dave Coldwell
If you’re Parker, you’re fuming.
It’s a huge fight and you want to at least have to go down and take a count if you’re getting stopped.
But also, u know if you’re getting knocked around when on the ropes and looking in trouble u have to clinch, land some punches back and look…— Dave Coldwell (@davidcoldwell) October 25, 2025
Lou DiBella
That fucking stoppage was HORRENDOUS. This was stopped against an A level fighter without any sense of danger or necessity. JUST. FUCKING. AWFUL. Ov vey with #boxing. So much fucking nonsense. Joe Parker deserved better. https://t.co/2pCFc7ak3r
— Lou DiBella🥊 (@loudibella) October 25, 2025
Mike Coppinger
Don’t love the stoppage. The final sequence, the first punch was a grazing blow and the second and third didn’t land. Poor timing by the ref to jump in there and then. Both boxers showed tremendous heart.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 25, 2025
Dan Rafael
Watching the replay and the stoppage is even worse than I thought in #ParkerWardley. Terrible. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) October 25, 2025
George Kambosos
To early!!! I thought! But what a fight! Both fkn warriors
— George "Ferocious" Kambosos Jr (@georgekambosos) October 25, 2025
Ariel Helwani
That’s an awful stoppage.
I’m sorry.
Wardley was pouring it on, yes, but Parker was still in it.
Parker was ahead on the cards by 6 rounds and another 2 and another had it 5-5.
Nope. Don’t agree!
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 25, 2025
Tony Bellew
That’s a bad stoppage! At this level of boxing the stoppage has to be definitive! That wasn’t! Well done to both fighters btw! Really good competitive fight 👏🔥👏
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) October 25, 2025
Frank Warren
Incredible ending to an amazing fight at the O2. Congratulations to @FabioWardley who showed his class tonight. Commiserations to @joeboxerparker who fought a good fight tonight. https://t.co/MXGPHXg3nb
— Frank Warren (@FrankWarren) October 25, 2025
