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Fabio Wardley pulled off a huge upset to destroy Joseph Parker's dreams of earning a double world heavyweight champion on Saturday and placed himself in position for a chance at undefeated champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Stunning Comeback Victory

The English fighter is now the primary challenger for the Ukrainian after he claimed a remarkable comeback victory by halting the seasoned New Zealander in the eleventh round of an thrilling and tough battle at London's O2 Arena.

Wardley, 30, won the WBO 'interim' title when he pressured referee Howard Foster to stop the bout as he overwhelmed former world champion Parker, who had been significantly damaged in the 10th by a right uppercut.

Powerful Celebration

The Ipswich native got the crowd to their feet and dropped to the floor in jubilation as his corner team rushed into the ring to rejoice.

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

Controversial Stoppage

There was an argument that the intervention was premature, especially given Parker had controlled for large parts of the fight and damaged Wardley multiple occasions with straight rights.

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

Wardley's After-Match Comments

"I stated all the way through this preparation that we chose Joseph Parker because I feel I'm at the top and I proved I'm at the top," said Wardley.

"All credit to Joseph, he can't get enough esteem and he deserves all the respect from the boxing world. He undertook a chance when he didn't have to, and we realized he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to select our spots and ultimately we got them out of there."

Critical Moment

It was a right-handed uppercut from Wardley in the 10th round which swung the bout clearly back in favour of the outsider.

This was Wardley's twentieth professional win and his most significant. Usyk now potentially awaits early next year.

Parker gambled his ranking as the number one contender for Usyk's crown by undertaking this fight, declining to his fourth career defeat.

Promoter's Confident Outlook

Wardley's promoter Frank Warren stated to DAZN: "Usyk said he wants to do it, so that's what it will be. It's a half-hour fight and it only takes one second from him."

Wardley's Extraordinary Journey Progresses

It was a top names of the British heavyweight scene in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the spectators.

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

Wardley proceeded to the ring dressed in Ipswich Town colours with the football club's emblem displayed on his kit.

Significant Career Progression

He remarked in the build-up how it was amazing that when Parker was claiming the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he was only competing in white-collar boxing.

Yet here he was on the equivalent level as the experienced Kiwi in a fight to establish the next challenger for Usyk, the greatest heavyweight of this period.

Fight Analysis

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

As cries of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' rang around the arena, Parker gained control with a stiff of a jab that soon brought blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter's nose.

The conclusion to the first three minutes was decisive from the expected winner as Parker stormed through with a powerful of a right hand.

Exciting Momentum Shift

Parker's control evaporated when a right hand from Wardley shook him in the second.

It would be a forerunner to what would occur later in the fight. It was a perfect shot and raised those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unstable on his.

The experience of Parker, in his 40th professional fight, looked like it was going to be critical here. Wardley was always risky, but Parker was hitting 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 risk.

The fight appeared to be losing steam in the eighth before it exploded back into life and turned clearly back in Wardley's benefit in the 10th.

He ensured his remarkable story would get another chapter against Usyk when he swarmed Parker in the 11th with a flurry of shots which compelled Foster to act.

It may have been premature but Wardley will claim that Parker was taking considerable punishment.

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk requested a medical exception to delay his required defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his representative Serge Lapin recently verified that the perfect champion was ready to face the successful fighter of this bout.

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

Fast Ascent to the Top

With just twenty-one career fights on the back of no amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still unpolished and his ascent to this level has been substantially sped up.

But now he is in a situation to challenge the top heavyweight of this generation which is a dramatic tale.

Parker's Future Thoughts

Parker will now have to deliberately consider his next step, given his age and how long he has been fighting at the highest level.

He accepted a massive chance here and his opportunities of reclaiming a portion of the world heavyweight crown have been lessened.