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Fabio Wardley pulled off a massive upset to wreck Joseph Parker's dreams of earning a two-time world heavyweight champion on Saturday and put himself in line for a chance at undefeated champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Remarkable Comeback Victory

The British fighter is now the primary contender for the Ukrainian after he earned a stunning comeback victory by stopping the veteran New Zealander in the penultimate round of an thrilling and tough battle at London's O2 Arena.

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

Powerful Celebration

The Ipswich native brought the crowd to their feet and collapsed to the floor in triumph as his support crew piled into the ring to rejoice.

They were superb scenes as the ex white-collar boxer maintained his outstanding rise in the boxing world.

Controversial Stoppage

There was an argument that the halt was early, especially given Parker had commanded for significant portions of the fight and injured Wardley multiple occasions with right hands.

But the 33-year-old New Zealander gave little protest when Foster stepped forward and his trainer Andy Lee did not look to object as his man suffered his fourth professional defeat.

Wardley's Post-Fight Comments

"I declared all the way through this preparation that we selected Joseph Parker because I think I'm at the top and I proved I'm at the top," stated Wardley.

"All recognition to Joseph, he can't get enough esteem and he deserves all the esteem 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."

Critical Moment

It was a right uppercut from Wardley in the 10th round which swung the bout decisively back in support of the longshot.

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

Parker gambled his standing as the top contender for Usyk's title by taking this fight, dropping to his fourth pro defeat.

Promoter's Assured Outlook

Wardley's promoter Frank Warren stated to DAZN: "Usyk declared he wants to do it, so that's what it will be. It's a thirty-six minute fight and it only requires one second from him."

Wardley's Remarkable Journey Continues

It was a elite group of the British heavyweight category in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the observers.

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

Wardley walked to the ring dressed in Ipswich Town colours with the football club's crest featured on his kit.

Notable Career Progression

He commented in the build-up how it was amazing that when Parker was securing 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 top heavyweight of this era.

Fight Description

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

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

The finish to the first three minutes was forceful from the favorite as Parker powered through with a powerful of a right hand.

Dramatic Momentum Shift

Parker's control vanished when a right hand from Wardley stunned him in the second.

It would be a precursor to what would happen later in the fight. It was a perfect shot and brought 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 risky, but Parker was landing the better shots through the middle 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 appeared to be fizzling out in the eighth before it burst back into life and swung decisively back in Wardley's favour in the 10th.

He guaranteed his stunning story would get another chapter against Usyk when he overwhelmed Parker in the 11th with a barrage of shots which forced Foster to intervene.

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

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk requested a medical dispensation to postpone his compulsory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his advisor Serge Lapin recently affirmed that the undefeated champion was prepared to face the winner of this bout.

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

Fast Ascent to the Top

With just 21 pro fights on the back of no amateur background having emerged from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still raw and his ascent to this position has been considerably fast tracked.

But now he is in a situation to challenge the best heavyweight of this period which is a Hollywood-like tale.

Parker's Future Considerations

Parker will now have to carefully consider his next step, given his age and how long he has been competing at the top level.

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