Fabio Wardley appeared to be heading for defeat against Justis Huni until a single punch dramatically altered the course of their bout.
The British fighter seemed to be struggling during the WBA interim heavyweight clash held in Ipswich on Saturday.
Despite fighting in his hometown and being the pre-fight favorite, Wardley was dominated by Huni from the start. The Australian controlled the action in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators at a rain-soaked Portman Road.
Huni held a significant lead on the judges` scorecards as the fight entered the championship rounds. However, unexpectedly, Wardley landed a powerful right hand early in the 10th round, securing a stunning knockout victory.
The official scorecards revealed the challenging situation Wardley, the 6ft5 heavyweight, was in before his decisive knockout. Wardley was trailing on all three cards, with two judges awarding him only **one** round. The scores were 89-82 and 88-83 in favor of Huni on two cards, and 89-82 on the third.
Fan reactions on social media highlighted the dramatic nature of the comeback:
One fan gasped on X: “He was down bad too wow.”
Another said: “I didn’t give Wardley a round. The 1st round was close but I thought Huni nicked it with cleaner punches.”
While a third added: “These were very accurate scorecards in a hometown fight for once.”
Wardley`s promoter, Frank Warren, likened the knockout punch to a “Deontay Wilder moment.”
This victory significantly elevates Wardley`s standing, putting him in contention for a world title shot. It marked his 18th knockout win in 19 professional contests.
Reflecting on the fight, Wardley commented:
“I don`t profess to being any [Oleksandr] Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills.
But I know how to win fights and that`s one thing I knew I had to do tonight.
Justis Huni is a great operator. We`d drilled everything over and over again.
I should`ve performed better in some of those rounds.”
Huni stepped in as a replacement for American Jarrell Miller on short notice. The Australian fighter suffered his first professional defeat, having previously secured 12 consecutive victories.
Commenting on the knockout punch, Huni stated:
“That`s my curse.
I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight.”
