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Fabio Wardley achieved a huge upset to wreck Joseph Parker's aspirations of becoming a double world heavyweight champion on Saturday and put himself in contention for a shot at unbeaten champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Stunning Comeback Victory

The English fighter is now the top challenger for the Ukrainian after he earned a stunning comeback victory by ending the experienced New Zealander in the penultimate round of an entertaining and physical battle at London's O2 Arena.

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

Powerful Celebration

The Ipswich native got the crowd to their feet and collapsed to the floor in celebration as his corner team rushed into the ring to celebrate.

They were superb scenes as the former white-collar boxer extended his extraordinary rise in the boxing world.

Questioned Stoppage

There was an discussion that the halt was early, especially given Parker had commanded for large parts of the fight and hurt Wardley repeatedly with powerful rights.

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

Wardley's Victory Comments

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

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

Decisive Round

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

This was Wardley's 20th career win and his most crucial. Usyk now likely awaits early next year.

Parker risked his ranking as the primary contender for Usyk's championship by taking this fight, falling to his fourth career defeat.

Promoter's Positive Outlook

Wardley's promoter Frank Warren informed 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 Extraordinary Journey Advances

It was a elite group of the British heavyweight category 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 colors with the football club's emblem emblazoned on his kit.

Significant Career Progression

He remarked in the preparation how it was amazing that when Parker was claiming 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 top heavyweight of this generation.

Fight Breakdown

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

As cries of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' resounded around the arena, Parker gained control with a powerful 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 favourite as Parker powered through with a powerful of a right hand.

Thrilling Momentum Shift

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

It would be a precursor to what would follow later in the fight. It was a beautiful shot and got those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unsteady on his.

The expertise of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be crucial here. Wardley was always risky, but Parker was hitting the better shots through the intermediate rounds.

Last 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 threat.

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

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

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

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk requested a medical exception to defer his required defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his representative Serge Lapin recently confirmed that the unbeaten champion was ready to face the victor of this bout.

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

Fast Ascent to the Top

With just 21 professional fights on the back of without amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still raw and his rise to this position has been substantially sped up.

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

Parker's Future Thoughts

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

He took a significant gamble here and his prospects of regaining a share of the world heavyweight crown have been lessened.