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Fabio Wardley pulled off a huge upset to shatter Joseph Parker's hopes of securing a two-time world heavyweight champion on Saturday and placed himself in contention for a shot at perfect champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Stunning Comeback Victory

The English fighter is now the number one challenger for the Ukrainian after he earned a impressive comeback victory by ending the veteran New Zealander in the eleventh round of an exciting and tough battle at London's O2 Arena.

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

Dramatic Celebration

The Ipswich native brought the crowd to their feet and dropped to the floor in triumph as his corner team flooded into the ring to mark the victory.

They were magnificent scenes as the ex white-collar boxer maintained his remarkable rise in the pro circuit.

Debated Stoppage

There was an debate that the halt was early, especially given Parker had dominated for large parts of the fight and hurt Wardley repeatedly with right hands.

But the 33-year-old New Zealander provided little objection when Foster stepped in and his trainer Andy Lee did not appear to object as his man experienced his fourth career defeat.

Wardley's After-Match Comments

"I declared all the way through this preparation that we picked Joseph Parker because I think I'm at the top and I demonstrated I'm at the top," commented Wardley.

"All praise to Joseph, he can't get enough admiration and he deserves all the esteem from the boxing world. He took a chance when he didn't have to, and we knew he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to choose our spots and finally we got them out of there."

Turning Point

It was a right uppercut from Wardley in the 10th round which swung the bout decisively back in favour of the underdog.

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

Parker risked his standing as the top contender for Usyk's title by taking this fight, dropping to his fourth pro defeat.

Promoter's Assured Outlook

Wardley's promoter Frank Warren stated to DAZN: "Usyk declared he wants to do it, so that's what it will be. It's a 36-minute fight and it only needs one second from him."

Wardley's Incredible Journey Advances

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 observers.

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

Wardley walked to the ring decked out in Ipswich Town colours with the football club's badge displayed on his kit.

Notable Career Progression

He spoke in the preparation how it was remarkable that when Parker was winning the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he was only fighting in white-collar boxing.

Yet here he was on the identical platform as the veteran Kiwi in a fight to determine the next challenger for Usyk, the greatest heavyweight of this era.

Fight Analysis

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

As shouts of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' rang around the arena, Parker established control with a ramrod of a jab that soon produced blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter's nose.

The conclusion to the first three minutes was emphatic from the favourite as Parker charged through with a powerful of a right hand.

Exciting Momentum Shift

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

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

The knowledge of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be crucial here. Wardley was always dangerous, but Parker was connecting the better shots through the central rounds.

Final Rounds and Victory

The Kiwi's left uppercuts to the body and right hands over the top were a particular highlight, but Wardley's own backhand remained a risk.

The fight looked to be waning in the eighth before it exploded back into life and turned clearly back in Wardley's favor in the 10th.

He ensured his stunning story would get another chapter against Usyk when he attacked Parker in the 11th with a barrage of shots which forced Foster to step in.

It may have been premature but Wardley will contend that Parker was taking significant punishment.

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk sought a medical exception to delay his compulsory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his consultant Serge Lapin recently affirmed that the unbeaten champion was set to face the victor of this bout.

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

Quick Ascent to the Top

With just twenty-one career fights on the back of without amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still raw and his ascent to this standing has been substantially sped up.

But now he is in a place to take on the top heavyweight of this era which is a Hollywood-like tale.

Parker's Future Considerations

Parker will now have to carefully evaluate his next step, given his age and how long he has been fighting at the top level.

He accepted a significant chance here and his chances of reclaiming a share of the world heavyweight crown have been diminished.