Fighting in front of his hometown at Portman Road, Fabio Wardley (20-0) turned a rough night into a statement win, smashing Justis Huni in the 10th round to become WBA interim heavyweight champion. The Ipswich lad was down on the cards but detonated a right hand that sent Huni spinning to the canvas. That was it.
Huni boxed sharp early. He dictated the pace, peppered jabs, and looked like the more composed fighter — until Wardley finally timed him. One mistake. One shot. And Huni’s legs gave out. Now Wardley’s got gold, and with the WBA’s rotation system, that puts him in line for a crack at the real belt — depending on what happens with Usyk vs. Fury 2.
Pierce O’Leary delivers in co-main, Perez turns back time, Hysa steamrolls again
Ireland’s Pierce O’Leary battered Liam Dillon to grab the European title and defend his WBC International belt. Clean, sharp, no nonsense. Dillon had no answer.
Mike Perez looked about 10 years younger and stopped Steven Ward in the ninth. Ward’s corner looked frozen. Perez did what he wanted and put the exclamation point on it.
Nelson Hysa didn’t waste time either. He wrecked Patrick Korte in two rounds to keep his WBO European strap and called out Moses Itauma immediately after. If Itauma wants real smoke, that’s it.
Richardson debuts, Khan stays unbeaten, Gilley slips to draw
Lewis Richardson made a clean pro debut with a six-round schooling of Dmitri Protkunas. The Olympian boxed clever, didn’t rush, and cruised to a wide win.
Umar Khan moved to 12-0 with an eight-round points victory over Moises Garcia. Another step forward.
Sam Gilley couldn’t figure out late replacement Gideon Onyenani, and the fight ended in a draw (76-76). Not a great look, even with the switch.
Event Info
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Date: Saturday, June 8, 2025
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Venue: Portman Road, Ipswich, England
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Broadcast: LIVE on DAZN
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Start Time: 7:00 p.m. UK / 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
Main Card Results
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Fabio Wardley def. Justis Huni – KO10 – WBA Interim Heavyweight Title
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Pierce O’Leary def. Liam Dillon – UD – European & WBC International Super Lightweight Titles
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Mike Perez def. Steven Ward – TKO9 – Cruiserweight, 10 rounds
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Nelson Hysa def. Patrick Korte – KO2 – WBO European Heavyweight Title
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Lewis Richardson def. Dmitri Protkunas – PTS6 – Middleweight debut
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Umar Khan def. Moises Garcia – PTS8 – Featherweight, 8 rounds
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Sam Gilley vs. Gideon Onyenani – DRAW (76-76) – Super Welterweight, 8 rounds
Nelson Hysa is the real deal man 💪! Korte looked scared from round one and got smashed quick. If Itauma got guts then he’ll fight Hysa but I bet he don’t want that smoke.
‘Real deal’ just cause he beat Korte? Nah man, Korte ain’t no top dog. Let’s see him against somebody who fights back first before we start calling him champ material 🙄.
@Qcampbell you’re missing the point – it’s not just who you beat, it’s how! Two rounds is domination no matter who’s in front of you! Hysa earned his respect right there 💯.
Gilley drawing with some last-minute guy is embarrassing 😬. You supposed to win those fights easy if you’re serious about moving up. He better fix up or just stay in local shows tbh.
Pierce O’Leary was way better than Dillon and people acting surprised. Dillon didn’t even look ready to fight someone serious. It wasn’t even close so stop pretending it was some kind of war.
Honestly, I never heard of half these fighters before, but watching Wardley smash Huni made me a fan. If he hits like that every time then he should fight Fury next or something 🔥.
I think it’s dumb how they make a big deal about the cards. You can be down all night and still win with one good shot. That’s what makes boxing exciting not boring jabs 🥊.
Everybody keeps saying Huni was more technical, but what does that matter if you lose? Boxing ain’t a dance contest. Wardley knocked him out and that’s what counts at the end of the day.
I don’t get why people act like Huni was winning big. Yeah, he was jabbing and stuff but that don’t mean much if you can’t take a punch. Wardley proved power beats style 💥.