Fabio Wardley vs Wladimir Klitschko (from joshua fight)

Wlad was 41 years old and shot to pieces.
Wardley is limited and largely unproven, but so was AJ (even more so in 2017).
Wardley should win.

Against a prime Wlad, obviously Wardley would be picked apart quite one-sidedly. But against the old, shot Wlad, I'd expect Wardley to win.

 

The problem is, hindsight means we already know how that went for AJ - he won, and he proved he was definitely a legit contender.

We don't have that hindsight for Wardley - he hasn't fought anyone on old Wlads level just yet, and his resume is thin beyond a poor version of Parker.

He might have a chance... But he needs to prove more before it can be reasonably suggested, let alone assumed.

 

Wlad was 41 years old, coming off a 18 month lay-off, a pathetic loss to Fury before that, and his last win a poor 12 round decision against Bryant Jennings a clear 2 years before ....

..... I'd actually rate a 26 year old undefeated Justis Huni as well as a 2025 Joseph Parker, as better opponents.
I think sometimes fans get too attached to "big names". But you have to look at age and current form. Wlad hadn't looked good for 2 1/2 years, had hardly been active, and was just plain old.
That's why Joshua, despite going in having a weaker record than Wardley has now, was a slight favourite to win.

Of course nothing can be proved. It's all hypothetical. But i'd make Wardley a clear favourite.

 

I'd probably favor Wlad to win a Decision.

 

Sure, he'd looked disinterested against Fury and performed badly.
Also, despite winning very wide (and rightly so), he didn't blow away Jennings as he should've against a bang average gatekeeper.

The performance against Joshua, though, he looked more interested and more aggressive - like he could smell retirement looming and finally wanted to fight back.

Huni?! A prospect who's proven very little? No chance.

Parker at his best might get close... The Parker Wardley fought, however, would not - credible win though it still is, that was full rtard Parker.

Fans get attached to hype - Joshua, at that point, was highly hyped even if it took that Wlad win to start justifying it.

Of course not.

And yet... I just think making Wardley favourite at all is premature, making him a clear favourite to my mind is disrespectful nonsense... To each their own, I guess.

 

Here we go again, excuses. You said Parker would dominate Wardley only for Parker to get stopped and now instead of acknowledging Wardleys abilities you suggest this version of Parker wasn't at his peak which is nonesense

Parker himself claimed he was in the best shape ever and was on his best run ever, beating the likes of Wilder, Zhang, Bakole. Parkers extra weight did not affect his speed, and his stamina was fine. Wardley beats any version of Parker.

 

If I recall correctly, I did say if Parker fought properly it should be a formality...

Instead he fought just as dumb as he did against Joyce.

Wardley did well, and it's a better win than anyone active (other than Usyk) has - he's up there somewhere, but needs more depth to his resume (as does Kabayel, for example)

 

No he didn't. Parker looked good and he was actually ahead on most cards until Wardley clipped him with an uppercut and turned the tide. That was the best version of Parker, Wardley isn't short fat tubby Ruiz or shopworn Chisora.

I agree it's a good win but I don't think any version of Parker beats a motivated Wardley

 

I don't agree at all.

Let's see what else Wardley can do - or at very least let's see Parker get a good win whilst in that condition a mindframe.

 

The poll results show how the Joshua haters/recent HW era haters.. talk nonsense, to troll, because Wlad obviously still was very good/good when he fought Joshua

 

He was 41 , gave a good performance almost stopping prime Joshua, and was only 17 months after his amazingly dominant over a decade reign of terror.

He has far too much ability and experience for Wardley, who isn't as good as a prime Joshua.

This is a fighter who has the longest combined reign of any heavyweight in history we are talking about, 12 years! Serious boxing legend.

 

And that version of Klitschko came after that reign, he was old and lethargic. Wardley by KO

 

Vlad looked terrible against Joshua. I've seen all his fights and that was the slowest he had ever looked. People never realized that while he was a power puncher, his whole game was hand and footspeed. He was more athletic than anyone he fought except maybe Haye.

Almost all that was gone at 41.

 

"Inside 3" is counter to the logic of Wlad's record.

The only fighter who I'd class as a genuine top 10 contender who Wlad ever took out inside *6* rounds was Pulev. All of his other top 13 wins avoided being stopped until the 7th round, and 6/13 went 12 rounds. Also, Wlad lost 5.

Also, Wlad was 41 when he fought Joshua. Prime Wlad didn't KO anyone decent inside 3 rounds (Austin? Jefferson?), let alone retirement fight Wlad.

Wardley is a good fighter and just stopped Parker, who would be among Wlad's top 10 wins. He's been underrated:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/why-is-parker-such-a-heavy-favourite-over-wardley.741311/

 

Overrating Wardley now.