White Collar boxing is the sport’s ugly step sister. Unlike the glory and assumed excellence that comes with Olympic boxing, white collar is considered the home of common ruffians. Where overworked and underpaid office workers can deliver concussions without criminal consequences. A public house for wannabe boxers. Violence pretending to be sport. Amateur boxing’s shame.
But in Fabio Warldey, white collar boxing has a new Lord Defender. Much like Oliver Cromwell’s dictatorship over England centuries ago, Wardley’s rule as British and Commonwealth champion has been built in blood. Adeleye, Gorman and now Clarke. One by one dispatched with unwavering cruelty. Reminding everyone, there is no place for amateurs in professional boxing.
Wardley is no mere brute. There is subtlety in his savagery. The awkward changes in body angle, the deliberate lead foot placement, the heavy right hand almost always coming over the top with Wardley stooped low off centre. Do not be fooled by his unconditional support for Ipswich Town FC or permanent scar on his nose. This is a man determined to hone his craft. Frank Warren’s ultimate trump card.
Now he must leave the domestic scene behind and cement himself as an elite contender and become a regular on Saudi cards. Joseph Parker would be a proper test. Yet Wardley has wisely admitted himself that he needs a step-up fight before taking on a former world champion like Parker. Perhaps Frank Sanchez or Filip Hrgovic could deliver the challenge he needs. Both are coming off the back of defeats and are dangermen in their own right with impressive records. The real test will be Wardley’s ability to make adjustments. Improving his jab, switching stances to close down retreating opponents, and landing body shots early, are weapons he could add to this arsenal. A powerful right-hand can get you far. Just ask Deontay Wilder. But skills pay the bills in the long-term. Timing is key for Wardley in and out of the ring. If he can plan his career just right, maybe, just maybe, this brilliant bogeyman can become Britain’s next great world champion.