Fabio Wardley could defend his new WBO world title against Anthony Joshua in his next fight.
Wardley was promoted to the outright WBO World Heavyweight Champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
He has the option to voluntarily defend his championship before facing a mandatory challenger.
Former champion Anthony Joshua is currently ranked 10th in the WBO and would be eligible to face Wardley. Unless Joshua secures his long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury, that fight could take place next year.
A surprise bout against Jake Paul, optimistically scheduled for eight rounds, is set for December 19th. Joshua will then set his sights back on the path to Tyson Fury, which should dovetail with Saudi Arabia’s continued ambitions to invest in major boxing events.
Joshua is likely to box in Riyadh in February before taking on Fury in late 2026.
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Andy Scott explains why Usyk vacated WBO heavyweight title after being ordered to face Wardley and what this means for third fight with Tyson Fury
“The plan that was actually in the hands of[Saudi investor]Turki Alarusik was a fight in Riyadh in February and a fight with Tyson Fury,” Hearn said.
“My understanding is that that contract hasn’t been agreed with Tyson Fury yet, so there’s not much we can do. We’ve got an agreement. We’ll live up to it. We’ve always worked on it, it doesn’t matter.”
“Turki Alarusik has to make that deal happen. He hasn’t failed yet and we are very confident he can make it happen.”
If the Fury fight cannot be agreed, a world title fight with Wardley would be attractive for Joshua.
“If I can’t do that, 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 showdown between Joseph Parker and Wardley at the O2 Arena (Credit: DAZN)
Jake Paul was originally slated to give Joshua a surprise eight-rounder in November when the opportunity suddenly presented itself. But AJ still has further ambitions.
“This is not where we’re going. This is just an opportunity we can’t turn down,” Hahn said.
“But in 2026, business as usual resumes and business as usual is to try and become a three-time heavyweight world champion or beat Tyson Fury. That’s the real goal for 2026.”
