FabioWardley
British, Commonwealth, WBA Continental and WBO European Champion
Fabio Wardley is a British professional boxer born on the 18th of December, 1994 in the town of Ipswich, England. Currently, he fights under the guidance of the legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren and the banner of Queensberry Promotions.
This is the fighter profile of Fabio Wardley - one of Britain’s finest professional heavyweight boxers with a journey to professional boxing that very few boxers have travelled in the past.
Over the next couple of sections, we are going to examine Fabio’s personal path into the sport of boxing, explore his most notable fights and achievements, and take a deeper look into his fighting style and strengths. And in the end, we’ll touch upon the legacy that he has built so far and his future aspirations.
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WINS
18
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LOSES
0
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DRAW
1
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KOs
17
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WEIGHT
241 lbs
(109 Kg) -
HEIGHT
6’5”
(196 cm) -
REACH
78”
(198 cm)
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Trainer
Robert Hodgins
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Born
18 December 1994
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Born in
Suffolk, UK
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nation
British
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residence
Suffolk, UK
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KO Percentage
94.44%
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Stance
Orthodox
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Rounds
62
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Debut
8 April 2022
Unique Path to Boxing
Fabio Wardley’s journey to professional boxing is anything but conventional. Unlike the large majority of boxers, especially those in the heavyweight division, he didn’t possess a significant amateur background.
Instead, his rise to professional boxing happened through white-collar boxing events where he had the opportunity to showcase his raw talent and determination, and that he had everything that was needed to make it into the professional boxing ring.
This unconventional route to professional boxing has made Wardley stand out as a unique fighter in the heavyweight division, bringing a lot of attention to him and the boxing events he participates in.
Fight after fight, it was evident that Fabio was a different breed of fighter. And this didn’t go unnoticed. After seven years of professional boxing and 18 fights (16 of which were won via KO), in August 2024, Wardley signed a multi-fight deal with the legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren ahead of his rematch with Frazer Clarke at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On the 12th of November 2024, Wardley won the rematch for the BBBofC British Heavyweight and Commonwealth Boxing Council Heavyweight titles after finishing Clarke in the first round. This not only resolved any unanswered questions between the two fighters but solidified his position as one of the most feared heavyweights in the sport.
Notable Fights and Achievements
Fabio Wardley fought a number of high-stakes fights over the years, all of which were career-defining and have brought him step by step to where he is today. After winning his first eight professional boxing fights (four of which were won in the first round), he finally had a shot at the BBBofC English Heavyweight title.
The bout for his first career title was against an established English professional boxer by the name of Simon Vallily. The two heavyweights went at each other for a total of three out of the scheduled 10 rounds.
Wardley comfortably set the pace of the fight, winning both rounds one and two. In round number three, Vallily pressed Wardley into the corner and in an attempt to defend himself from the counterpunches, the more experienced boxer was caught by a left hook to the head, which left him staggered. This allowed Wardley to apply pressure, land a series of clean punches, and ultimately win the fight via TKO.
After winning the BBBofC English Heavyweight title, he had to defend it one year later. This time, against Nick Webb. The fight lasted just one round. Although Webb started off strongly and was on track to win the round, Wardley landed a big body shot that left Webb exposed.
Fabio capitalised on the opportunity and landed a number of powerful punches in quick succession. The referee Kieran McCann ultimately stopped the fight as Webb appeared defenceless.
Following the defence of his BBBofC English Heavyweight title, Fabio’s amazing performance opened the doors for the biggest challenge of his career yet - a bout against David Adeleye for the BBBofC British Heavy, Commonwealth Boxing Council Heavy, and WBO European heavyweight titles.
The bout went on for seven out of 12 rounds, with Fabio unanimously winning each of the first six by points. After a dominant first half of the fight, in round number seven, Wardley landed a heavy right followed by a left hook, which sent the Big D to the canvas.
Despite getting up before the 10 count, the punches that Fabio unloaded shortly after were enough for the referee to call the end of the fight - winning Wardley the three titles.
After winning the three major titles, in March of the following year, Fabio faced the challenger Frazer Clarke on two occasions - one ending in a split decision draw and a win via first-round TKO in favour of Wardley.
Fighting Style & Techniques
Fabio Wardley is primarily an orthodox fighter. Over the course of his career, it has become evident that his fighting style mostly revolves around high output and explosiveness. This is unlike most heavyweights, which primarily rely on sheer size and brute force to overpower their opponents.
Unique Style and Approach
Instead, Wardley primarily relies on speed, agility, and precise timing to outmanoeuvre opponents and deliver devastating blows. His unique fighting style as a heavyweight fighter has undoubtedly allowed him to remain undefeated and become one of the most feared opponents in the heavyweight division.
Some of his biggest strengths in the ring are his power and precision. The boxing world has seen Wardley land very accurate punches with immense power that have prevented many of his opponents from being able to recover, leading to their loss.
An example of this can be seen in his fight against David Adeleye, where Wardley’s power and precision were on full display and ultimately led to him winning after a 7th round TKO.
Despite his lack of amateur background, Wardley’s exceptional ring IQ is another strength that he possesses and uses to his advantage. His ability to read opponents and make adjustments mid-fight reflects his tactical awareness and ability to counter everything his opponents may have prepared for him.
Strengths and Key Techniques in the Ring
One example where Wardley’s ring IQ came into play was his victory over Nathan Gorman for the British heavyweight title. In round number one and early in round number two, Gorman was applying pressure and landing some good shots, even causing Wardley to get a nosebleed.
Instead of panicking, Fabio remained calm, analysed the situation, and took advantage of the opportunities that came his way. Halfway through round number two, his composure in the ring paid off.
After a series of punches, Gorman was forced to put his guard up, and when he least expected it, a powerful straight after a jab followed once and then once more, which brought him to the canvas.
After the first knockdown, the pace of the fight changed in favour of Wardley, ultimately leading to his victory via TKO after Gorman’s corner threw in the towel.
Legacy and Future Aspirations
Despite being just 30 years old and a professional boxer for just seven years, Fabio Wardley has already solidified himself as one of the dominant figures in the heavyweight division. The Ipswich man is currently the #10 ranked heavyweight in the world and the #5 ranked heavyweight in the UK - ahead of household names in the likes of Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora.
He has recently been ranked as No.1 contender in the world rankings by the WBA.
Although he has already achieved far more than many of his contenders, he wants to keep going and build upon his amazing legacy. And hopefully, one day, he will get what every heavyweight boxer so deeply desires - a shot at the world heavyweight title.
It’s not a secret that Wardley still has an undefeated professional record, which makes him a particularly desirable opponent. So, in due time, we may not only see him face some of the division’s most feared fighters like Daniel Dubois but with a world heavyweight title wrapped around his waist.
If you’d like to follow Fabio Wardley’s journey to the top, keep an eye out for any upcoming events on the Queensberry website. As soon as a boxing event featuring Wardley is announced, that’s where you will hear about it first.
That will also be the first opportunity when you can get tickets and secure the best seats in the arena before everyone else.
Fighting History
win
1 round tko
Frazer Clarke
Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
British & Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
12 Oct 2024
Draw
12 round sd
Frazer Clarke
02 Arena, London, UK
British, Commonwealth & WBO European Heavyweight Championship
31 Mar 2024
win
7 round tko
David Adeleye
Boulevard Hall, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
British, Commonwealth & WBO European Heavyweight Championship
28 oct 2024
win
4 round tko
Michael Polite Coffie
02 Arena, London, UK
1 apr 2023
win
3 round tko
Nathan Gorman
Wembley arena, London, UK
British Heavyweight Championship
26 nov 2022
win
2 round tko
Chris Healey
O2 Arena, London, UK
9 Jul 2022
win
2 round ko
Daniel Martz
O2 Arena, London, UK
27 feb 2022
win
1 round ko
Nick Webb
HQ Garden, Brentwood, UK
British Heavyweight Championship
7 Aug 2021
win
5 round ko
Eric Molina
Europa Point Sports Complex, Gibraltar
27 Mar 2021
win
2 round tko
Richard Lartey Harrison
Wembley Arena, London, UK
21 Nov 2020
win
3 round tko
Simon Vallily
HQ Garden, Brentwood, UK
Vacant British Heavyweight Championship
1 Aug 2020
win
6 round tko
Mariano Ruben Diaz Strunz
O2 Arena, London, UK
20 Jul 2019
win
3 round tko
Dennis Lewandowski
Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, UK
10 May 2019
win
1 round tko
Morgan Dessaux
O2 Arena, London, UK
2 Feb 2019
win
3 round tko
Phil Williams
O2 Arena, London, UK
22 Dec 2018
win
1 round ko
Ferenc Zsalek
Corn Exchange, Ipswich, UK
26 May 2018
win
1 round ko
Scott Saward
Epic Centre, Norwich, UK
18 Nov 2017
win
1 round tko
Zheko Zhekov
Epic Centre, Norwich, UK
22 Jul 2017
win
4 round pts
Jakub Wojcik
York Hall, London, UK
8 Apr 2017
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