Fabio Wardley could defend his new WBO world title against Anthony Joshua in his next fight.
Wardley was upgraded to the outright WBO world heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
He will have the option to voluntarily defend his championship before facing a mandatory challenger.
Former champion Anthony Joshua is currently ranked #10 in the WBO and therefore eligible to face Wardley. If Joshua fails to secure his long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury, that fight could happen next year.
An unexpected fight with Jake Paul, optimistically scheduled for eight rounds, is scheduled for December 19th. After that, Joshua will turn his attention back to the path of Tyson Fury, which aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ongoing ambitions to invest in major boxing events.
Joshua will box in Riyadh in February and is likely to fight Fury in late 2026.
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Andy Scott explains why Usyk gave up his WBO heavyweight title after being ordered to face Wardley and what this could mean for his third fight with Tyson Fury.
Hearn explained: “The plan that actually ended up in the hands of (Saudi financier) Turki Alalshikh was the fight in Riyadh in February and then Tyson Fury.
“From what I understand, that deal hasn’t been agreed upon with Tyson Fury yet, so there’s not much we can do. We’re involved. We’re working on it. We’ve always been working on it, there’s never been an issue.
“Turki Alalshikh needs to get that deal done. He hasn’t failed yet and we are confident he can.”
If a fight for Fury is not agreed upon, a world title fight with Wardley would be attractive for Joshua.
“If that’s not possible, why not fight Fabio Wardley for the world heavyweight title? That’s still the goal,” Hearn said.
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Highlights of the heavyweight bout between Joseph Parker and Wardley at the O2 Arena (Credit: DAZN)
Jake Paul suddenly got his chance when Joshua was originally set to face them in an incredible eight-round fight in November. But AJ still has more ambitions.
“This is not where we are going. This is just an opportunity we can’t turn down,” Hearn said.
“But in 2026, business as usual will resume and business as usual will be trying to become a three-time heavyweight world champion or beat Tyson Fury. That’s the goal for 2026.”
