Australian Heavyweight Justis Huni Falls to Fabio Wardley in WBA Interim Title Bout

Australian heavyweight Justis Huni's bid for the WBA interim world title was ended by a devastating 10th-round knockout against rising English star Fabio Wardley. Huni controlled the fight for nine rounds, but Wardley pulled out a stunning right-hand in the 10th round to secure the KO. Wardley praised Huni's performance and the win will boost his WBA ranking.

Australian heavyweight Justis Huni's bid for the WBA interim world title was ended by a devastating 10th-round knockout against rising English star Fabio Wardley. Huni controlled the fight for nine rounds, but Wardley pulled out a stunning right-hand in the 10th round to secure the KO. Wardley praised Huni's performance and the win will boost his WBA ranking [1].

The fight took place at Portman Road, Ipswich, with a vocal home crowd of around 20,000 present. Wardley, a 30-year-old from Ipswich, struggled to find his rhythm and pin down the slicker, sharper Huni in the early rounds. However, he managed to turn things around with a thunderous right hand in the 10th round, sending Huni crashing to the canvas. The victory marked Wardley's 18th knockout in 19 professional wins [1].

Wardley's promoter, Frank Warren, described the moment as a "Deontay Wilder moment," highlighting the significance of the knockout. Wardley himself acknowledged Huni's skills and the importance of his win, stating, "Justis Huni is a great operator. We'd drilled everything over and over again. I should've performed better in some of those rounds" [1].

Huni, who replaced American Jarrell Miller on short notice, suffered his first professional defeat after 12 consecutive wins. The Brisbane native was enjoying an inspired performance before the knockout blow, but the sudden turnaround in the 10th round proved too much for him. Huni admitted, "That's my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight" [1].

The win is a significant milestone for Wardley, who only took up boxing at 19 and turned pro after just four white-collar bouts. His meteoric rise is nothing short of remarkable, especially for someone who only laced up the gloves a decade ago. Wardley's victory moves him one step closer to a world title shot, with champions Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois set to meet for the undisputed title in July [1].

Wardley's performance, while not flawless, demonstrates his ability to dig deep and turn the tide of a fight. He will now take some well-earned time to enjoy a more personal milestone, with his partner due to give birth to their first child in a matter of days [1].

References:
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/c20qyjzj4dgo