The British boxer Fabio Wardley has propelled himself into the heavyweight title conversation after a surprising late-round knockout win against former champion Joseph Parker at the O2 Arena in London.
This impressive victory extended Wardley's unbeaten streak to 21 professional bouts—20 victories and one draw—with an impressive 19 stoppages.
Wardley also claimed Parker's interim WBO championship and is now in line for a career-defining chance against unbeaten unified titleholder the Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk.
But will Wardley get his shot at the reigning two-division champion?
What other fights are happening? And what matchups could materialize?
The champion impressed again when defeating Daniel Dubois by stoppage to become a repeat undisputed heavyweight titleholder in July.
Just five days after that victory, the WBO ordered the veteran fighter to start talks for a defense against mandatory challenger Parker.
But the fighter suffered a back issue and was given additional time to negotiate with Parker's camp.
The champion stated recently he planned to continue boxing for two more years but had no intention of fighting next year.
The WBO has not made a fresh call for Usyk to negotiate with his mandatory challenger, but could do so soon following Wardley's victory.
Wardley was vocal about wanting to fight the titleholder next after his recent victory.
"I have one thing to say - Usyk, Usyk," he said in his post-fight interview.
Former cruiserweight champion Usyk may even decide to swerve Wardley.
If he does, the WBO could force him to vacate their belt and upgrade Wardley to champion.
If that situation unfolds then former IBF champion Dubois could emerge as a potential opponent for Wardley.
With the champion still deciding his next fight, the heavyweight scene has stalled.
There are no major championship bouts scheduled in the final two months of 2025.
There is a UK heavyweight championship fight on November 29th when Frazer Clarke and Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva meet at Derby's Vaillant Arena.
The fight was initially planned for October 25th before TKV picked up an injury.
The rescheduled event will be broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer, marking the first event in a new partnership between BBC Sport and Boxxer.
The boxing world is waiting for news on a fight date for two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Joshua has not fought since his devastating fifth-round knockout defeat at the hands of compatriot Daniel Dubois in autumn 2024.
The veteran underwent elbow surgery in May and there have been murmurs about a possible date in December.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said it's "uncertain if he'll have a tune-up bout this year", but also hinted Joshua could be added to a card in California on 13 December or possibly to an show in the Middle East late December.
"It might not even be something we announce weeks and weeks before because that defeats the object," Hearn told Ring Magazine.
"He is in the gym and he is staying ready so we could say 'you're out in two weeks in an eight-rounder'."
Joshua has expressed desire to compete in Africa, but it is unlikely he will feature on Matchroom's expected card in Ghana on December 20th.
His dream of fighting on the continent may have to be postponed until early next year.
Rising star Moses Itauma is Britain's next great heavyweight hope—but the 20-year-old is yet to finalise his next contest.
Itauma boosted his standing with a first-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte in August, extending his perfect record to 13 wins with 11 knockouts.
In the wake of that impressive victory, Itauma was connected to fights with several top contenders.
Team Itauma were considering a fight in December, with Derek Chisora suggesting he would share a card on 13 December in Manchester.
But that date is now in doubt for the fighter from Chatham, who is learning the hard way about boxing politics.
WBA 'regular' champion Kubrat Pulev was ordered to defend his belt against Itauma on October 14th, but the veteran has revealed intentions to fight Russian Murat Gassiev on December 12th.
The mandate gives both camps 30 days to reach agreement.
Promoter Frank Warren, who promotes Itauma, told media outlets that "Pulev has to fight Moses next with London and Manchester possible host cities".
Itauma has also been suggested as a potential opponent for undisputed champion Usyk, but the champion dismissed those speculations earlier this month.
As for Chisora, he was present at the O2 Arena alongside fellow British heavyweight Whyte and American Jarrell Miller before Wardley's win over Parker.
Speaking about future bouts and a potential trilogy fight, Chisora said "yes, if the contract is right", before adding that it will "100% happen in December".
Predicting what happens next for Tyson Fury has always been challenging.
The former world champion announced his retirement in January after losing against Usyk for a second time a few weeks prior.
Over the past nine months, Fury has hinted at returns then changed his mind.
Fury has expressed interest in fighting Joshua before claiming he's accomplished all his goals and is happy to stay on the other side of the ropes.
During a recent interview on FurociTV, Fury said there was "no actual reason for me to go back in the boxing ring".
But the 37-year-old was ringside to watch Wardley's win against associate and sparring partner Parker—and that could have sparked his interest.
Marlon Vance is a seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets, specializing in data-driven predictions and strategy development.
