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Fabio Wardley pulled off a massive upset to shatter Joseph Parker's aspirations of becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion on Saturday and positioned himself in contention for a shot at unbeaten champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Stunning Comeback Victory

The British fighter is now the number one challenger for the Ukrainian after he secured a impressive comeback victory by halting the veteran New Zealander in the penultimate round of an entertaining 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 swarmed previous world champion Parker, who had been hurt badly in the 10th by a straight uppercut.

Emotional Celebration

The Ipswich native raised the crowd to their feet and fell to the floor in celebration as his support crew piled into the ring to mark the victory.

They were excellent scenes as the former white-collar boxer maintained his extraordinary rise in the pro circuit.

Questioned Stoppage

There was an debate that the intervention was untimely, especially given Parker had commanded for significant portions of the fight and injured Wardley numerous times with right hands.

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

Wardley's Victory Comments

"I said all the way through this build-up that we selected Joseph Parker because I feel I'm at the top and I showed I'm at the top," stated Wardley.

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

Decisive Round

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

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

Parker gambled his position as the top contender for Usyk's title by undertaking this fight, falling to his fourth career defeat.

Promoter's Confident 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 half-hour fight and it only takes one second from him."

Wardley's Remarkable Journey Continues

It was a who's who of the British heavyweight division in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the onlookers.

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

Wardley proceeded to the ring adorned in Ipswich Town colors with the football club's badge featured on his kit.

Significant Career Progression

He commented in the lead-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 identical platform as the experienced Kiwi in a fight to decide the next challenger for Usyk, the best heavyweight of this period.

Fight Description

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

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

The end to the first three minutes was forceful from the favorite as Parker stormed through with a rocket of a right hand.

Exciting Momentum Shift

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

It would be a precursor 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 experience of Parker, in his fortieth pro fight, looked like it was going to be vital here. Wardley was always dangerous, but Parker was hitting 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 specific strength, but Wardley's own backhand remained a danger.

The fight looked to be waning in the eighth before it burst back into life and shifted firmly back in Wardley's favour in the 10th.

He made sure his remarkable story would get another chapter against Usyk when he attacked Parker in the 11th with a volley of shots which pressured Foster to step in.

It may have been premature but Wardley will claim that Parker was taking substantial 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 representative Serge Lapin recently confirmed that the unbeaten champion was prepared 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 21 pro fights on the back of without amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still unpolished and his rise to this position has been substantially sped up.

But now he is in a place to challenge the best heavyweight of this generation which is a cinematic tale.

Parker's Future Thoughts

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

He undertook a huge risk here and his chances of reclaiming a piece of the world heavyweight crown have been diminished.