Fabio Wardley is set to face a new opponent for his upcoming WBA interim heavyweight title bout at Portman Road on June 7th. The venue, home to Wardley’s favorite football club, Ipswich Town, will host this significant boxing event.
Wardley, holding a professional record of 18 wins (17 by knockout), 0 losses, and 1 draw, aims to generate positive attention for the club and town with his 20th professional appearance, which is expected to attract a large outdoor crowd. He will now fight undefeated Australian contender Justis Huni, whose record stands at 12 wins (7 by knockout). Huni steps in as a replacement for Jarrell Miller, who withdrew from the fight due to a shoulder injury sustained during training.
The change in opponent was officially confirmed by Wardley’s promoter, Queensberry. A statement released two days prior had announced Miller`s withdrawal and stated that a replacement would be sought and announced within 48 hours. Justis Huni was subsequently named as the new fighter.
Wardley himself addressed the situation via a social media post, assuring his followers that a replacement would be announced soon and the event would proceed as planned.
The British heavyweight, currently the WBA’s top-ranked contender, faces a challenging test in Huni. The 26-year-old Australian, who entered the WBA rankings at number nine on April 30, holds high rankings across multiple major sanctioning bodies, including being the WBO`s top contender, ranked seventh by the IBF, and eleventh by the WBC. Huni`s most recent fight was in January 2024, a second-round technical knockout victory over Shaun Potgieter. Similarly, Wardley`s last bout in October ended with a decisive first-round stoppage against Frazer Clarke, following their thrilling draw seven months earlier.
The announcement of the Wardley-Huni fight comes shortly after another development from Queensberry: the signing of Lewis Richardson, a medallist from the upcoming Paris 2024 games, to their stable.
Undercard Details
Queensberry also released details for the undercard of the June 7th event. Scheduled bouts include:
- Sam Gilley vs. Louis Greene II (for the Commonwealth and vacant British super welterweight title)
- Mike Perez vs. Steven Ward (Cruiserweight)
- Lewis Richardson (making his professional debut) vs. TBA
- Pierce O’Leary vs. TBA (for the vacant European super lightweight title)
Additional fighters confirmed to appear on the undercard are Christian Fetti, Jack Williams, Keano White, Umar Khan, and Lillie Winch.
