Fabio Wardley keen on facing Anthony Joshua in all-British fight for WBO heavyweight title
Fabio Wardley is slated to make a defence of the WBO title in early 2026 and said he would welcome Anthony Joshua as his opponent in a potential all-British bout at Wembley Stadium; Wardley: "I still want to face the best guys out there in the division, whether that's AJ, Usyk, whoever"
Monday 15 December 2025 08:21, UK
Fabio Wardley says he would "happily welcome" an all-British fight for the WBO heavyweight belt with Anthony Joshua as he ponders his first title defence.
Wardley was elevated to WBO champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt when opting against defending it against the unbeaten 30 year old.
Wardley earned the WBO interim title and a shot at Usyk after a stunning 11th-round stoppage of Joseph Parker at The O2 in October.
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When asked whether two-time heavyweight champion Joshua would interest him for his first title defence, slated for early 2026, Wardley jumped at the prospect.
"It would be a fight I'd take and I'd happily welcome," the Ipswich-born fighter told Sky Sports, in an interview conducted before news of Joshua's potential fight with Tyson Fury in Riyadh next year emerged. It is reported that Fury and Joshua are additionally slated for separate fights in 2026 as part of Riyadh Season, which could lead to a clash with Wardley.
"Even though I'm obviously at the top now, I still want to face the best guys out there in the division, whether that's AJ, Usyk, whoever it may be.
"I just want to be in big, competitive fights. I'm happy to take on all comers, in that aspect.
"I want to be in there with some of the best in the world. And he [Joshua] is undoubtedly one of those guys, one of those names."
As for possible venues for the hypothetical matchup between Wardley and Joshua, though Portman Road is his spiritual home - the Ipswich fan beating Justis Huni there in June - Wardley admits that Wembley would be tough to ignore.
Joshua has been involved in three prior heavyweight title fights at Wembley, beating Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin but losing to Daniel Dubois in another all-British affair on his most recent visit in September 2024.
"To have AJ strutting about Portman Road would be quite an interesting one," Wardley added when quizzed on where he could fight Joshua. "I don't know if he's ever been to Ipswich in his life.
"I would say Wembley, just because I've done Portman Road.
"That's not to say I'm done and dusted, one and done and would never go back. But at this stage, I'd like to keep trying different venues, ticking off more places on the bucket list.
"It's not got much on Portman Road, but it's not a bad one at all."
