🔗 Share this article What Lies Ahead for the Heavyweight Division After Wardley's Victory? The British boxer Fabio Wardley has propelled himself into the heavyweight title conversation after a shocking late-round knockout win against Joseph Parker at London's O2 Arena. The remarkable win extended Wardley's undefeated record to 21 fights—20 victories and one draw—with an impressive 19 stoppages. Wardley also claimed Parker's WBO 'interim' title and is now in line for a life-changing opportunity against unbeaten unified titleholder Oleksandr Usyk. But will Wardley get his shot at the undefeated two-weight undisputed champion? What other fights are happening? And what other bouts might be possible? Will Usyk Fight Wardley? Usyk once again dazzled when defeating Daniel Dubois by stoppage to become a repeat undisputed heavyweight titleholder in the summer. Shortly after that win, the World Boxing Organization mandated the 38-year-old to start talks 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 planned to continue boxing for two more years but did not plan to step back into the ring in 2025. The governing body hasn't issued a new order for Usyk to face his mandatory opponent, but could do so soon following Wardley's victory. Wardley made no secret of his desire to fight the titleholder next after his latest win. "I have one thing to say - Usyk, Usyk," he said in his post-fight interview. The ex-cruiserweight titleholder may even decide to swerve Wardley. If he does, the WBO could force him to vacate their belt and elevate Wardley to champion status. If that situation unfolds then ex-IBF titleholder Dubois could emerge as a potential opponent for Wardley. What Fights Do We Know Are Happening? With the champion still deciding his next fight, the heavyweight division has been on pause. There are no world-level fights on the agenda in the final two months of 2025. There is a British heavyweight title contest on November 29th when Frazer Clarke faces Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva at Derby's Vaillant Arena. The fight was initially planned for 25 October before Tshikeva suffered an injury. The rescheduled event will be broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer, marking the inaugural show in a fresh collaboration between BBC Sport and Boxxer. When Will Joshua Fight Next? The fight community anticipates updates on a fight date for two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Joshua has been absent since his brutal fifth-round loss 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. Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said it's "uncertain if he'll have a tune-up bout this year", but also suggested Joshua might appear on an event 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 expressed desire to compete 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 wait until February. What's Next for Moses Itauma? Rising star Moses Itauma is Britain's next great heavyweight hope—but the young fighter hasn't confirmed his next bout. Itauma further enhanced his reputation with a first-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte in late summer, extending his unbeaten record to 13 victories with 11 knockouts. In the wake of that impressive victory, Itauma was connected to fights with several top contenders. Team Itauma were considering a fight in December, with veteran Chisora indicating they might appear together on a December date in Manchester. But that schedule is uncertain for the Chatham heavyweight, who is learning the hard way about boxing politics. WBA 'regular' champion Kubrat Pulev was mandated to defend his title against Itauma on 14 October, but the 44 year-old has announced plans to fight Russian Murat Gassiev on December 12th. The mandate gives both camps 30 days to reach agreement. 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 champion dismissed those speculations earlier this month. As for Chisora, he was present at the O2 Arena alongside other heavyweight contenders before Wardley's win over Parker. Speaking about potential fights and asked if we could see Chisora and Whyte meet for a third time, Chisora said "yes, if the contract is right", before adding that it will "100% happen in December". Is Fury Really Retired? Predicting what happens next for Tyson Fury has never been easy. The two-time heavyweight champion announced his retirement in January after losing against Usyk for a second time a month earlier. Over the past nine 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 veteran attended Wardley's victory against friend and training partner Parker—and that could have sparked his interest.