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Fabio Wardley pulled off a huge upset to destroy Joseph Parker's hopes of securing a double world heavyweight champion on Saturday and positioned himself in line for a opportunity at undefeated champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Stunning Comeback Victory

The UK fighter is now the top competitor for the Ukrainian after he claimed a remarkable comeback victory by stopping the veteran New Zealander in the penultimate round of an entertaining and tough battle at London's O2 Arena.

Wardley, 30, won the WBO 'interim' title when he pressured referee Howard Foster to end the bout as he swarmed previous world champion Parker, who had been hurt badly in the 10th by a straight uppercut.

Powerful Celebration

The Ipswich native got the crowd to their feet and dropped to the floor in triumph as his training team rushed into the ring to mark the victory.

They were superb scenes as the former white-collar boxer maintained his remarkable rise in the pro circuit.

Debated Stoppage

There was an discussion that the stoppage was premature, especially given Parker had commanded for large parts of the fight and injured Wardley repeatedly with straight rights.

But the 33-year-old New Zealander offered little objection when Foster stepped in and his trainer Andy Lee did not appear to protest as his man suffered his fourth pro defeat.

Wardley's After-Match Comments

"I said all the way through this build-up that we picked Joseph Parker because I believe I'm at the top and I proved I'm at the top," stated Wardley.

"All praise to Joseph, he can't get enough esteem and he merits all the respect from the boxing fraternity. He took a chance when he didn't have to, and we understood he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to pick our spots and ultimately we got them out of there."

Decisive Round

It was a right-handed uppercut from Wardley in the 10th round which swung the bout firmly back in favour of the longshot.

This was Wardley's 20th career win and his most important. Usyk now likely awaits early next year.

Parker gambled his position as the top contender for Usyk's title by undertaking this fight, falling to his fourth professional defeat.

Promoter's Positive Outlook

Wardley's promoter Frank Warren informed DAZN: "Usyk declared he wants to do it, so that's what it will be. It's a half-hour fight and it only takes one second from him."

Wardley's Extraordinary Journey Continues

It was a top names of the British heavyweight scene in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the onlookers.

Usyk was not here, but he was the man this bout was all for.

Wardley walked to the ring dressed in Ipswich Town hues with the football club's emblem displayed on his kit.

Notable Career Progression

He commented in the lead-up how it was amazing that when Parker was winning the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he was only participating in white-collar boxing.

Yet here he was on the equivalent level as the veteran Kiwi in a fight to determine the next challenger for Usyk, the best heavyweight of this period.

Fight Description

With Lee in his corner, Parker was on a successful run coming into this bout of six victories including successes over the likes of Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder and Martin Bakole.

As chants of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' echoed around the arena, Parker gained control with a powerful of a jab that soon produced blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter's nose.

The conclusion to the first three minutes was emphatic from the favourite as Parker stormed through with a powerful of a right hand.

Dramatic Momentum Shift

Parker's control disappeared when a right hand from Wardley rocked him in the second.

It would be a harbinger to what would occur later in the fight. It was a beautiful shot and raised those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unsteady on his.

The experience of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be critical here. Wardley was always dangerous, but Parker was connecting the better shots through the central rounds.

Closing Rounds and Victory

The Kiwi's left uppercuts to the body and right hands over the top were a notable feature, but Wardley's own backhand remained a threat.

The fight seemed to be waning in the eighth before it burst back into life and turned clearly back in Wardley's favor in the 10th.

He guaranteed his amazing story would get another chapter against Usyk when he attacked Parker in the 11th with a flurry of shots which forced Foster to step in.

It may have been early but Wardley will claim that Parker was taking substantial punishment.

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk requested a medical exception to postpone his mandatory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his representative Serge Lapin recently verified that the unbeaten champion was ready to face the victor of this bout.

Warren will now look to arrange that fight next year for his man.

Quick Ascent to the Top

With just 21 professional fights on the back of without amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still unpolished and his ascent to this level has been significantly sped up.

But now he is in a position to take on the top heavyweight of this generation which is a Hollywood-like tale.

Parker's Future Thoughts

Parker will now have to deliberately evaluate his next step, given his age and how long he has been competing at the highest level.

He accepted a significant risk here and his opportunities of winning back a share of the world heavyweight crown have been reduced.