The opening press conference ahead of the important heavyweight showdown between Interim world champions Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley, set to happen at The O2, London on Saturday October 25, took place today.
A shot at undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk is the prize for the winner, with both fighters holding Interim versions of world titles – New Zealander Parker has the WBO, and British boxer Wardley owns the WBA.
Below is a selection of key quotes from this early media event, set seven Saturday’s before fight night.
Frank Warren
“Why is this fight so significant? Because you’ve got two guys who don’t need to fight each other. Both are Interim champions. Usyk is out for 90 days and the WBO have said that at the end of those 90 days he has to defend that belt or he will be stripped or vacate it.
“So this fight is made because the winner of it will be the man who will be the next challenger to Usyk. It is as simple as that. If he doesn’t fight them, the winner could be declared champion.
“You’ve got to take your hat off to both of them. They are not waiting their turn. The WBO is next and Joe wants to fight and not wait until next year. With Fabio, he sees this as a shortcut or you could be waiting for two years until you get your chance, if the champion fights two times a year.
“Fabio is seizing his chance and, as he says, it could be a defining moment for him. He has the desire, he is a KO specialist and he is putting it all on the line, as is Joe Parker.
“For the winner it will be all and for the loser it will be nothing because he will go back down the queue.
“That is what this fight is all about, two fighting men putting it all on the line, to go out there and fight for the right to fight for the four belts.”
Joseph Parker
“Walking towards the fire? I love the fire. I’ve fought a lot of fighters out there who are big punchers and they haven’t been able to get me out of there, so credit to Fabio Wardley for taking this fight.
“We could have sat and waited for Usyk, when he is ready or not injured, but we as fighters are showing that we will fight anyone at any time. I think this is going to be a great fight. I know Wardley is determined and says he has ticked all the boxes and got the rounds in that he needs to have a big fight like this. But fighting someone like myself is very different from fighting everyone else he has fought.
“I bring a lot of experience, belief and determination and I will win come 25th October.
“There are levels. They do say there are levels in boxing and I believe with the experience that I have and what I have been working on in New Zealand, I have got a good base and I am excited to see what I can do in the ring.”
Fabio Wardley
“This will be a huge moment in my career, a defining moment, probably. I am committed to that saying of ‘big fights only’ because I have not come here to play around. I have not made it this far in my career to just hang about and wait for things to be handed to me.
“I am very much a go-getter. I have made my way through the WBA rankings and have got myself into a fantastic position there but, if that doesn’t go how we planned, I am not going to sit in the wings and wait, I am going to be in Frank’s ear and say ‘what is the next best opportunity here, what is the next best thing?’
“With Oleksandr Usyk tied up at the moment, there isn’t a better competitor in the division right now than the No.2 man Joseph Parker.
“I think at this stage of my career I have ticked off the right amount of milestones. The right amount of ups, downs, roller coaster moments that I have enough experience now to take me through into a top-level fight. I have been saying for a while now that I think I deserve to be mentioned alongside those names.
“People maybe still have reservations and question marks, so October 25th is where I get to wipe that all clean by beating Joseph Parker and announcing really and truly that I am shoulder to shoulder with those kind of guys.”
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