5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Parker v Wardley: The Heavy Waiting Game.

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

Big-time boxing returns to the O2 in October. Former world champion Barry Jones joins Buncey to look ahead to the heavyweight clash between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley, with the winner in line to face undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk. But who is taking the bigger gamble? We hear from both fighters and promoter Frank Warren.

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That's pockethose.com slash podcast for your two free gifts with purchase. Pockethose.com slash P-O-D-C-A-S-T. This is Five Live Boxing. It is the type of heavyweight fight that no heavyweight needs. Both Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker and a short cue for a world title fight. They'll get their world title fight. all they've got to do is weight, but instead, at the 2002 on October the 25th, Waldeley and Parker are going to fight each other. It's a rare and risky fight. It's a really good one. Here's the

story. I'm Steve Bunce and this is Five Live Boxing. So relentless heavyweight fights, top heavyweight fights, heavyweight fights that I didn't really think would happen. In fact, I'll be absolutely honest. I think this fight, Wardley against Parker, makes no sense. It's great fight, don't get me wrong, but I think the risk is massive for both of them. We'll hear from the pair of them in a minute, we'll also hear from Frank Warren, the promoter. I'm joined obviously by Barry Jones.

Barry, I think this is a terrific heavyweight fight, don't get me wrong, but I think it's a massive risk and it's a kind of odd fight. I'm delighted it's happening, but it's an odd fight to happen. It is an odd fight until you look at the landscape, Steve, and I think, you know, it's... That's the kicker. Yeah, it's because where

you go, you just sit down and, you know, you sit down with your lofty ranking, just wait your turn, which is the sensible option you would feel. You don't risk losing your line in the queue, I guess. But also, you become stale, complacent, out of shape. We've seen that before many, especially in that division, more than any other. So I think the fact that they're both willing to take the risk is a breath of fresh air, but also I think a necessity, maybe not, they can ask for the easier fights, but in that

division, every fight's at risk, as it is in any division, but that won't more than any other. but also they're going to get well paid and it's going to keep them sharp if they do get the golden challenge which of course is the challenge for the undisputed against Alexander losing and a big fight in a big arena now we're going to hear from them

we're going to start with Frank Warren in a moment Baron and shall ask you this who's taking the bigger risk who has the most to lose I think it's obvious Joseph Packer I mean you know A was sort of asking this question I think it is quite obviously

it is him because he's been there before he's been in big fights he is longer in the tooth all these things that are that does he want to rebuild if he gets beat by Fabio Wardley

no he doesn't and if Worley were to lose he's losing to Joseph Parker and how he and the man it's the man of the loss as well I think for both of them especially more for Wardy but the risk is massively for Joseph Parker he's taking the bigger risk

I tend to agree with for his career yeah for his career I sat down with Frank Warren to go over this fight and also have a little look at in his heavyweight crystal ball, which, by the way, is full of an awful lot of stories. Joe Parker's the WBO interim champion, and the WBO have ordered Alexandria for Ussick to defend their title, and he's got four belts, so all those belts are beyond the line, against Joe Parker.

He came up with this injury that he's got, so he's out for 90 days. So the WBA interim champion, Britain's own Fabio Waldley, we had conversation with him and with Joe, and we decided to get that on. So what is happening there is that you've got two governing bodies interim champions fighting each other, which means that whatever happens, if Joe's perspective, he jumps up the queue because a WBA one's not for a while yet. So that jumps, he jumps to queue up if he wins the fight. And whatever happens, the winner will get Ussick in 90 days unless he vacates. And if he vacates, they'll be declared WBO champion.

So it's all or nothing. It's a win-win. Yeah. So who loses the most if they lose? Who has more, who has more to lose in your opinion? I think both of them because you're going back, you're going to the back of the queue. You know, look, when somebody holds four belts, there are no unification fights. You have to have your mandatories, no excuses.

It's one after the other. That's what the agreement is between the government. So, but if you're the fourth in line and you look at the champion normally fights twice a year, You're waiting two years, so you'll be sitting around scratching your doodars for two years, do you? You want to try and get up in front of the queue? And, you know, that seems to be the attitude that these two have, because, you know, there have been occasions in the past when fighters in that position. Have trod water for two years, 18 months.

And I think it's commendable that the two of them are involved in such a risky fight. And it is a risky fight. It is a risky fight for both of them. But look, that's what it is, and it's how you lose fights and how the fight looks. looking at his fight is not going to distance. It won't go to distance. I mean, what it looks like to me, I mean, they both got form in that way. They both got form

late in the fight for winning, from winning and in Joseph's case losing, but they both got good form late in the fight. From round nine, this is a great fight. Yeah, well, Joe's a former world champion. He's a former world champion. Fabio, I mean, look what he'd done with Fraser Clark in the first round. And look what he's done with Hooney. I mean, he's a

danger man. From any moment in a fight, he's got that equalizer. And he showed that with her, and he was behind in that fight, and he pulled it out when he needed to. And he's done that. And when you look at him, and I commend him for it, he has no amateur experience. And look at the level he's fighting at.

And this is the highest level now. He's going into his toughest, toughest fight now. And also, you know, we call it white collar, but it isn't really white collar. White collar was that thing in the 90s when billionaire bankers fought billionaire bankers. This is closer to what the circuit that Fabio was on was closer in many ways to the old pirate circuit,

in my opinion, because they want, they weren't bankers and lawyers and stuff like that. When I started, I did that. I mean, it is what it is. Look, there's professional boxing, professional boxing. You know, he's in there, he's an athlete. One thing about what Fabio is, he's a competitor. Yeah, massive.

He's got a tremendous self-belief, and he can fight. And I've got to tell you that, somebody has said to me when he turned professional that he would be doing what he's doing now, I would never have fault that. So I commend him for it. and he's a great ambassador for our sport. He speaks well.

He's a lovely guy. He's built a great following. I mean, look at Ipswich. We sold out Ipswich. What a night. In his 20th fight with no amateur experience. Who's done that before? And I still think he started that as a slight underdog.

I thought that was a bold piece of matchmaking. One thing about Fabio is you actually see the improvement with each fight. You see, he's a better fighter now than he was two years ago. I think the thing is, you know, because of his experience, he was training to fight Miller and so. you've got a change of opponent and that can be you know somebody like for hoony he weren't training to fight anybody he was training but not training to fight anybody whereas fabio was training and fighting fighting looking to fight a certain style frank listen before i let you go so i know

it's a busy a busy day looks like December for moses itama we had that brilliant dillian white thing what's the shopping list for opponents are we down to three four we close to announcing there's somebody out of the top 10 so in your mind does it have to be somebody out of the top Yeah. Because Moses needs that. Well, that's where he's at now. That's where he's at. Have you spoken to Moses since Stadillo and what?

Has he calmed down? Because he was calm on the night, but he might... He was calm as he wasn't. He's too calm. Look, he's an exceptional young man. He's 20 years of age. I mean, that shocked me that first round. I never expected that at all, how that started and ended.

It shocked me. but what amazed me is is the maturity and the composure that he's got in a fight, the variety of shots, you know, he just gets better and better. He doesn't seem to be phased by anything,

does he? Well, you've got to think as well, mind games that are playing on, you know, Dillian done all the things that you'd expect to do, the old man him, came in late,

you know, the walk was late and it should have been, all those things, but he kept his call, he kept his thing, and I was, and I'm pleased that he did that

because it showed us another thing that you, another aspect that you, but you may not so much worry about to see Harry Coates, but he'd be cope with it well. So we've got a massive fight with Wardley against Parker. We've got Moses back in December. We've got Ousick may be next year.

You've got heavyweights all over. Has the man from Morecambe been on the phone? That's Tyson for you to be on the phone. We've forgotten about Tyson. Well, he's working at the moment. He's doing his Netflix series, his Netflix documentary. And if he does fight, it won't be until next year.

Okay. Good time would be a heavyweight, Frank, ain't he? This time be a promoter, but a great time to be heavyweight. It's on fire. These are all great. These guys are all fighting each other. They're all stepping. And it's not the end of the world for a loser. Yeah.

They're all stepping up. They're all stepping up. They're all, you know, they're all, they all want that shot at the title, either for one of the belts or the four belts. They all want it. And, you know, and we're doing our best to beat the Britbashier. So, Barry, frankly, just putting it into perspective, saying, well, this is the type of fights that,

fighters are going to have to take now. These are the fights they're going to have to make. Certainly since the start of Read season in October 20, 23. By the way, where's that two years gone, if you don't mind me saying? It was six months wherever. Now it's 23 months. So it is really just this is the way the landscape is.

There's no escaping and fighting a guy ranked 178 these days for top fighters. And also, it's we also, although Joseph Park, the thing, they're really risk against Fabi-Whori. But look at the step up for Wawley. It's huge. This is absolutely gigantic. Well, Spencer Brown, you know, Parker's manager and a sort of, you know, person at large in boxing, you know, obviously got the massive connection with Turkey, Alice Shake and a massive connection with Tyson Fury.

He said to me, Steve, I couldn't believe it. When we said to them, why Parker and him said to them, them being George Rowan, we'll have Fabio, Fabio jumped in it. Spence couldn't believe it. Because after the Justice Honey fight, you know, he got the win. I mean, and it doesn't matter how you get the win, he got the win. That's all that matters. But like, you think another learning fight, Dempsey McKean, something like that, that's the sort of fight. There's a loss out there.

No, that would be, that would still be a risky fight on paper for him, but no, he takes this. And maybe that is the landscape now where, you know, if you want to test yourself and you're up and coming, you box a season campaigner. Well, that's also what Frank said. Loss does not alter the course of your career. Anyway, I sat down with Joseph Parker also, beautiful, position. you know, looking out of London Bridge, Thames was there, some was there,

Joe was impeccable, and of course, he was in perfect Joe Parker mood. You know, I'm in line to fight, Yusick, interim WBO mandatory, but when I look at it, like, what's the point of waiting around?

Like, as a fighter, you just want to be busy and fight as many times as you can. And I want to be fighting, if I can, three, four times a year. Obviously, that's a big ask. But I want to,

you know, you can train as much as you want, but the fighting is what you want to do. do. And that's the winning way we're going to improve and get closer to fighting for a world title. And did you need it to be a good opponent, Joe, because they could have found you somebody and stuck your third on the build. So did you need it, did Joe Parker need to have a test? I need, from now on, I just need to fight the best, the best available fighter out there. What are you going to gain from just going into the ring and knocking someone over?

You've done that before? You know, done that before in the past. So now it's time to fight the best and whoever's available and just keep climbing. Were you disappointed with the way Usik reacted post-fight? Because it was fairly clear that he's not interested. I mean, I'm being honest,

you know, let's be really honest. He's not interested in the fight with me whether it's a financial thing or whether it's a, he sees me as a risk, I don't know. But he is, you know, taking time off and he's injured, so hopefully he recovers well. But everything is sort of waiting on Yusik

and what he's going to do next because he holds all the belts. So, yeah, after the fight, when I saw him in the ring, he wasn't interested, interested in all. Nice fella, but not interesting. Very nice fellow, right?

But just wasn't, I don't know, maybe I don't generate whatever he wants, money-wise, or I have no idea. It's the risk-free reward. Or risk-reward. Against Parker is a problem. Maybe.

Probably, yeah. But he's a nice guy. He's a nice guy. He's a great champion. So we don't dislike him. If he was unpleasant, it'd be easier. Joe, you've had a lot of roller coaster years in boxing.

You know, a lot of where you've been, we've had a couple of bad losses, good wins, great wins. this year's been a rollercoaster you know you were this close to fight in Dubois for the world heavyweight title and it fell out of bed well still a bit strange

no one could really no one's a strange one then Bacoli comes in at short notice luckily you kept your head on were you concerned going into the Bacoli fight that perhaps you could take your eye off the prize no at that moment when you're being training for a championship of the world fight

he's taken from you you know he was second part of the fight the only focus is to get a fight locked in done all this work he just want to smash someone. And that's, and that's, I don't care who it was. And I did want the, the most dangerous person. Obviously, he didn't have the best prep time.

Doesn't matter, he's still dangerous. He flew in and, you know, he got paid well. But it was, I just wanted to fight. And as a fighter, that's all you want to do is fight. And now this one with Fabio, now Fabio is a kid that we've been, we've grudgingly come to respect Fabio, because he started off as that whole white collar thing. Well, it was a novelty.

It's like a corporate type fights. Yeah, basically. Dorman might fight Dorman or that type of stuff. It's not necessarily... When it first started in about the 80s and 90s in New York, it was billionaire bankers against billionaire bankers. That was really odd fights. It was white-collar.

They had white-collar jobs. And it's kind of changed since then, so it's more like, you know, a tough man against another tough man. So that's what Fabio did. He was smashing people all over. Turn to boxing. And the first, you know, half a dozen fights, he looked a bit raw, but he started to progress.

And in the last two or three fights, he's looked like, you know, not necessarily to finish product, but a season pro now. Of each fight, he continues to get better and better with each fight. He's a learner. Learning along the way.

Obviously, you know, the first, whatever fights he's had, learning in the job, and then he stepped it up in the last few fights. You know, he's been in, he's been... Fraser Clark. He's been Fraser. Two fights for Fraser. Hooney, I mean, I think he was...

Even David Adelaide. Yeah. They're hard fights. Yeah. So I think, you know, he's up for the challenge. And he knows it's going to be. a big challenge. I feel like with Wardley's got a good power

and he can hold it all the way through the rounds especially late in the fight he's still got it but I feel like I'm going to bring a lot of experience. I know there's Justice Hune had experience and Fitzger Fraser Clark had his experience but mine I feel is a bit different. It's a bit different

are you kind of are you a little bit sore that you're not fighting for a world title? No. I just want to fight and I'm happy they've got to fight locked in and I want to take care of this fight and then look at future fights but for now this is

what's going to get me I'm excited for this fight because I've got something locked in and all going well with Andy in Dublin now that he's got 5178 other fighters since he's trained you at success every fighter in the country wants to be with Andy but curing up

listen Andy's doing great he had a great career in boxing champion of the world and now he's having a great career in training fighters and he's got myself you know Bin Whitaker, Paddy Donovan, and there's a few other fighters out there, Hebrose Shiraz. So him, you know, for me, it's a really good list of fighters, isn't it? But for me, like Andy, great trainer and looking after the box,

some of things like George Lockhart, you know, strength conditioning, nutrition. I got the whole, I got the whole setup and a great setup. Now, that's been about two or three years, isn't it? The whole George Lockhart, the whole Andy thing, the whole basically 365 days of the year. That's what you are at the moment, aren't you? Yeah. You don't go away for three months in game five. That's the past me.

That's the younger me where I like to enjoy myself and have fun. But now it's a lifestyle. And it shows the respect you have for the sport and your career. Is that essential, do you think, Joe? That's essential. You can't just use camp as a way of getting in shape in and training for a fight. It needs to be, all the hard work needs to be done before, and then you use camp as a way of zoning in.

And you can look back on a career without any regrets even now. So even though the Anthony Joshua fight didn't turn out the way one on it and there's a couple of defeats. The new Joe Parker doesn't look out of any regrets. No, no, no, I feel like I had to go through all of that to get to where now. And now I appreciate the position I'm in, and I respect it.

If I had it in the beginning, say I've had George and in the beginning, maybe I would have went off track anyways, you know, so... That was a different Joe Parker. It's a different, different, young... One kid, not five or six or where you've got, I mean, you've got in a moment, I gave up at the four. Six. Six. Six, I was joking, and there is six.

There is six, and you know what? They're all on Ireland at the moment, waiting for me. You've got my wife and kids here? No, you've got the wall with you here. Yeah. I think we're not living together. No, of course not. They're staying off the road 10 minutes from me and I'm staying in another house.

But it's nice to see them at the end of every day. It's like family time. And when are they going back? Because I remember the last time I went back. I came out to Ireland that day and you were a little bit flat because you had to say goodbye to your wife in your kids. Yeah, no, they're not going. They're staying? They're staying.

Oh. They're staying and my wife's going to come to the fight for the first time. She hasn't been to any of the fights. No, the first one? Yeah. So she's going to be here, going to the fight. It's going to be incredible. That's not bad, Joe.

So, listen, what a life, hey. What a life. What a life. Listen, from my side of the ropes, this is definitely a blessed life. You've got to do the fight, and that's the only problem. I love it. But I enjoy it.

I enjoy the fighting. I love the training camp. I love the challenge. I just, I feel like I got a great set up, you know, and a great, great balance in life. Training, family fights and holiday. And back at the O2 and in Britain, where you are loved. You're adopted, man.

I like her, yeah. It's nice to be able to come back here now and have a fight here. And a different change from fighting in Saudi Arabia, the crowd's going to be electric. It's going to be a great atmosphere, going to feed off it. I'm going to have some supporters here as well, which is great. Definitely, yeah. Be half and a half.

It'll be good. Yeah. So it's nice to be back here. Joe, it's a delight and a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you. The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over one billion professionals,

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Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valet through 327. Selection varies by location. Raw supplies last. Joe Parker there, six kids, he's got Barry. He's even more than more, same as you and I put together. Yeah, yeah. But he also has a lot more money than you and I.

Yeah, and a lot more land. Put together. A lot more land. I mean... And a lot more hair, by the way. I think what Joe's saying there is perfectly reasonable. You know, he jumped to me straight away. You know, I want the hard fights.

I want to keep being tested. I think he needs the test. I think in his head he needs the test. I think so. I mean, he's a special character because if I was in this position, they say to you, yeah, we've got to fight for you. It's Deont de Wilder. By the way, that's the war with fury, but still, and it'd be an active.

Still, DeWolder. We didn't know there was any decline, and we only knew that after that fight. Of course. And anyway, so you go, oh, what a fight to take. Okay, I'll take that. No, I get the more total shot. And they go, no, you just got a box in a Zhang. Oh, okay.

Assault ball. Who's on full? A Southport. A soft pole. A Olympic silver medalist. Seven foot nine. If he touches you, you fall to sleep. Okay, I'll take that.

Again, okay, I take that. And then you win that and they go, okay, right then. You got to go, you get down in Dubai. You're going to get a world's hard of. What's the replacement? It's not some easy fight. It's Pocoli. It's not at the shape.

It's still Bacoli. I'm just got to think, what are you? In the 1940s and 50s, yeah, what's going on? Why am I being frozen out? I get all paranoid and feel sorry for myself. No, we talk about that. We joke about that. We joke about him being frozen out and in being avoided

and in it being like it was in the, old days, the dark old days. Well, it is a little bit, because Joseph Parker, you know, he's getting to that point now where it's becoming laughable and he hasn't had a shot. It's a long time ago beating Deonti Wilder,

Barry. We're coming up to two years. Yeah, it's ridiculous. It really is. I mean, if anyone deserves their shot, it's him. Where do you think he's going to have to beat you, is it irrelevant.

Absolutely a relevant. He's earned the right more than anyone else, even more than Cabail, I would say. So, I mean, but he's a beat the boy. And because, I've spoken to me a few times and said, well, what if you don't get the,

Usik fight. Well, I'll get another fight. That's what he said. I'll get another fight. In all fairness of parke, he is a relatively fresh 33. The way he's changed his life with George Lockhart, the condition, the treatment, conditioner, the genius, guru, dietitian, nutritionist in his ear and the whole

marriage with Andy Lee. By the way, how good does he make that gym sound? Ben Whitaker, Hamza-Sierrez, Donovan. Ain't a bad gym, is it? It's brilliant. But, I mean, irrelevant to like that he's fresh. Yeah. I mean, he's still 33. You don't want to be boxing forever. No.

But also, you want to fight for the world title. Like he's being the world champion, but the chance to be a two-time world champion puts you on a different bracket, Steve, you know that. And I mean, you know, whether he's good enough or not, and who knows, and whether it's Uzzuk or somebody else, he just needs that opportunity, and he deserves it. And so he should be given it.

Giving it and deserves it. Those are odd old words to use often in boxing, but they're applicable here. Now, Fabio Wardley, well, most people know his story from listening to this pod. He was a white-collar warrior. He turned a professional. He ignored him.

He was still a white-collar warrior. Then he slowly started to improve, fight by fight. And then he started to have some big fights. We were 50-50 fights, which he would win. He had a great draw. And just really interesting fights. And just his development has been so obvious. I sat down with Fabio.

And by the way, it's always a pleasure to sit with Fabio Wardley. We're both number ones with our government and body. We both have interim spaces. So if we really wanted to, both of us could just sit still. and wait for things to unfold in front of us, but neither of us have that. We have more ambition about us. Both of us are more go-getters

than sit there and wait for something to be handed. So, yeah, there's jeopardy on both sides for both of us. Who has the bigger risk? I would say, I would say, Parker, for a number of reasons. That's honest of you. Sorry? That's honest of you? Yeah, no, look, it's plain because, look,

one, his WBO calling is before the WBAs. So his initial spot is straight up for growth. grabs, but also he's already won a world title, had a kind of falling off middling period and come back around. Now, to lose to me and do that all again, although, don't get him wrong, he's only 33, I think. He's still a baby. Yeah, he's not old, but he has also had nearly 40 fights. So, it's a bit of time in the game. So to do, have another kind of pick myself up moment and resurgence will be a lot more difficult for someone like him than it would be for me. Going into the last fight, you know, you're at home, I mean, literally at home, hometown.

I love the idea you could walk to the ground in 10 minutes. Don't ruin it. Don't ruin it. That's not the truth. We like that rocky story. Have you watched that fight back? Do you watch your fights back? Do you sit down a week later with a few beers and watch your fights back? Yeah, I've watched the fight back a number of times. Don't give me wrong, I wasn't too pleased with it. So it maybe took me a few weeks longer to really build up the courage to look at it and assess it and dissect it. But yeah, we've looked at, we as a team and I've looked at it as well, individually on my own, to make my own assessments. And there's a lot of positives to take from that out of the negatives of like, okay, great.

Look, we didn't do too well, but ultimately we won and we got the win. But that also showed us areas we need to improve. So there's a positive to take from that in the sense of without that, maybe I'd be going into this fight thinking, oh, no, I smashed out Justice Hooney in four, five, six rounds, whichever else and I'm all confident and not really looking at myself to think of maybe we need to make some improvements here, some changes XYZ. Your entire professional career has been about improving, hasn't it? It's been about changing drastic, almost drastically with each fight, there's been a steady

improvement. Yeah, it has. I think I am the epitome of learning on the job. Still on it. And, yeah, and I said to the guys earlier, look, it sounds funny to say at 20 fights in that I'm still learning on the job. But ultimately, in my entire life, I've had 24 professional boxing,

sorry, not professional, just 24 boxing contests in total, four white collars and 20 pro fights. So, yeah, I haven't, in the grand scheme of things, I haven't had that many. I haven't had that much time with it all. But there's a lot of learning to be done, and I'm ambitious to keep pushing.

You're always ambitious. You always thought you were going to get, even when people doubted you, and you were still the white, you'd be a white collar guy for a long time, weren't you? Let's get that. right but there were signs of improvement you never doubted you'd get to where you are here did you i had full faith in myself look i was never naive to the fact that it was going to be a challenge

and the test and it was going to be a hard road and there was going to be ups and it was going to be downs but i believed in my resilience and will to want it um i think that is half of the game with you it's a bit more than half the game it's just that will maybe 89 percent who knows Maybe 99. But yeah, look, I knew that as long as I stayed faithful to the sport, applied myself and stayed true to myself and trained and stayed on top of everything properly, I could make it to this stage as to where I'm at right now. Do you look back on, say, your early fights and you remember yourself in the gym in those fights

and when you were sparring those fights compared to now, it's totally two different fighters? Yeah, no, I'm an entirely different fighter. I'm an entirely different fighter. fight entirely differently with a complete different array of skill sets. And that's the evolution of growing on the job and learning. There was a plus and a minus to learn in the pro game and only learn in the pro game because sometimes you find amateurs that need to convert their style a bit to adapt to professional boxing.

Where I haven't had to do that, I've only learned professional boxing, which has its own kind of different quirks and whichever else. Also, your tank was relatively full when you became a professional boxer. You hadn't had 268 amateur contests fighting in all of the stands available. You were fresh after however it was a white collar fights. Yeah, look, and that was something we were, which was a good aspect for me. I was still fresh and still very much, oh, 20 fights in. Look, I've had a few little tear-up.

ups and a few wars and a few moments here and there but over the ring yeah most of them um but they haven't added still at this point of of 20 fights in and 30 years of age i'm not weathered miles on the clock and and running on fumes i'm still very much fresh um and ready to go so it's again that was a positive to take from jumping in the game a little bit early are you are you excited about fighting parker because of his pedigree especially because of his form. I mean, you know, next to Cabayel and Ousek,

they're the three-form heavyweights. Yeah. You're not far behind, by the way, but they're the three-form heavyweights. No, of course. I'm, I was, I was buzzing. It was one of those moments where I got, I hadn't, not to say,

I hadn't been up or excited for my most recent fight to whichever else, but this one is a different level of, of competition. So when I said, yes, let's do this, let's fall forward, like, say yes, telling me, let's get things moving, get things cracking. I put down the phone, and I got a little bolt of energy in me, and I was like, here we go,

come on then, game time, let's have a out, let's have a go. And that's where you get the best from me is where I'm in a moment where I know, like, you're in deep waters here, Fab, let's figure out if you could swim or not. A challenge. Yeah. Just, and let's finish on this. Joseph Parker is a lovely fella. He's a dad of six.

You became a dead After the Hooney fight, not long after? A week after, yeah Fancy six? No Credit to him I don't know how he managed it I think he must

He has to do his training camps away from home He does double But the family's with him For this fight Yeah, don't worry That's a benefit to me then, correct? Listen Fab, thanks so much for your time

Thank you, cheers Brilliant, thank you So Fabio Wardle there Not fancy in six kids I spoke to Joseph Parker in the toilet I sent to do a lot of my business in the toilets these days at fights and press comments. I'm just telling you, I mean, you're going to toilet,

you're having a pee, you're washing your hands, and suddenly there's loads of people there and there's a whole conference going on. So I had a chat with Joseph Parker about the six kids, he said, no, Buncie, not everyone can have six kids. And I'll leave it at that. Top boy, Joseph Parker. Barry, look at the two of them.

Fabio's had an odd period, okay? Obviously that blowout against Fraser Clark after the war with Fraser Clark, the one punch, one round blowout. Then he had the Hooney fight, which he was trailing on and pulled out a punch to finish it very late in the fight. Joseph Parker, the Zhang fight was over a year ago. Then he had obviously the Bacoli fight, which he dominated and then took him out in the second. Where are they to tour them?

Who's better prepared for potential gruelling 12, blood-firsty, blood-sucking, gut-wrenching fight at the O-2? That's what it's going to be. I'm sorry, it's what's going to be. I think, first of all, who's more prepared for a 12-round fight is always, always going to be Joseph Parker because he had more of them at a higher level. Lots of them.

As a higher level. But when you said blood drenching and all that, whatever, I mean, you certainly, you first you think of is, well,

that's how Fabioli fights. I mean, if it's not a war, then he's not in the ring. But invariably, Joe's fault that way in the past, you know, in some of those,

the Dillian white fight was you had to watch it through your fingers, for God's sake. But Fabio's winning a fight side there. Oh, no,

just to get the balance. I mean, No, he doesn't know how to lose. So you look at the Justice Honey fight, but he was totally outboxed, and he was on his way to lose in. But he never. And also, you can...

Keep looking for why. Also, you can look at that and go, there's so much there to learn from. If you take a positive out of that, you used to get the win. Better to win, ugly, to lose pretty. He won pretty in the end, by the way. But, no, I mean,

but it wasn't pretty up until that point. But they got so much to analyze and look at them on things you can improve on. He's still... I mean, we're always evolved. of in fighters, but I mean, he is learning through every fight because he has to. Changing drastic.

He acknowledges that, you know, he's talking to me there. You know, he realizes he's changing. He can see the change in himself. The thing is, I don't think he, I don't think he can change. I don't think he has enough, because he's learning. See, it's funny thing, when you learn on the job, you think you're going to change, but you don't. If anything, you don't get chance to change

because every fight's so competitive as you learn on the job, then even the blowouts, you're wary of, just not, so you don't practice what you do in the gym. But he's a smarter fighter now than he was six fights ago. No, yes, but I mean what I mean is when you have an amateur, assume you turn pro as an amateur, top-class amateur, and you fight loads of journeymen. What that is, is to practice what you do in the gym

because you start to change to get, for the pro career, for the pro style, and learn about your power and sit in the punches. But when you turn pro and have competitive fights, you almost haven't got time to do that. You just have to learn the win. You're just on a, you're just on the Fabio roller coaster. I mean, yeah, you have to win. I mean, but that's, so he's just learning,

You know, he's got the recipe to win. He's so instinctive, but he'll have things to look at because then this is a little bit better. I think fight management is something. I think it starts his start. He's massively athletic. But if he's not swinging and committing, I mean, his balance needs working on.

I would say that. It has improved, but still needs working. Well, what he's doing, he's using the momentum of the next point to going back on balance, which is not bad, but at some point that's not going to work. And against someone like Joseph Parker, that could be a fool's recipe.

But he is learning, he is, and fight management, I mean, when to take a rest, when to work with. He fights in bursts. Yeah. But he has to be smarter in taking those chances, I think, for him. So, Barry, looking at it, it's in about a month's time. What do you see?

What do you sense? I mean, things can change in that month. We could hear things. We could see things. But what's your gut feeling a month out? Yeah, I think, you know, I still think you have to make Parker. Just on experience and he has more to his locker. I mean, but the thing is, what Fabrius is,

his locker to legalise everything that's how it is and it does yeah but for for for Joseph

I think he has more on his locker he's physically stronger than he's than he's ever been in his career he has to

push Fabio back people think he has to box Fabio I think he might be out boxing him but ultimately I think the last

thing you want is worthy coming at you yeah continuously coming out swinging you want to be in the end

of those punches so the best place to be is miles away or right inside and what he's body's shown against Jiang,

certainly against Wilder, is he's brave enough and has the knowledge and the experience not. To fight in close. To be able to slide inside. All he has to do then is, though, is Joseph Parker.

When he gets inside and backs him up, take that little step to the left or the right. He's just off centre. Wally's not used to that. Wally's used to, no, Wally can throw

good up because it's inside, by the way, and the left hook's great. But you need to be able, yeah, but if you push him back and then take a little step to the left or the right, and you work away from a different angle,

I think Wali might find themselves lost, you take away his power. By making and turn on to you all the time. Well, he's swinging fresh air then and he might tie it all quicker. But if you've got water, even if you're boxing wall, if he's coming at you all the time,

or if you're tentative, you're giving him range to throw when you're backing him up and you're coming forward straight at him like Hunny did. You're always going to be with potential at the end of that knock or punch. So just, Barry, thanks for that. Just one stat.

We're not doing a lot of stats these days on the pause, but I will use this one. Fabio Wardley is 1,19. 18 by knockout or stoppage. Barry Jones, it's always a pleasure talking to you. So Fabio Wardley against Joseph Parker. The O2 will be absolutely packed. And hopefully, as everybody hopes, everybody's dreaming about everything.

One of them will get Alexander Usick next year. Don't hold your breath. But you know what? It's a terrific fight. I'm Steve Bansett. This has been five live boxing. He scored goals, lifted trophies and broken records along the way. And now he's got a problem.

podcast. Welcome to the Wayne Rooney show. Twice a week, Wayne Rooney, Kay Kerd and me, Kelly Summers, break down the biggest stories in the Premier League and beyond. As much as you'd like to say it, loyalty in football now is there's no existence, whether that's from players or managers. Plus, we'll hear the funniest, wildest and most outrageous stories from Wayne's career. The Wayne Rooney show. Everybody's talking about it. Listen on BBC Sounds.