Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni Predictions: Portman Road for the world-ranked Ipswich man

Fabio Wardley finally gets his dream venue, as Portman Road in Ipswich plays host to a heavyweight clash with Justis Huni. The bout takes place on Saturday, June 7 and will be screened live on DAZN.

Here are my Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni predictions ahead of this battle of the big men.

Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni Odds

Wardley is 4/11 to win this hometown assignment. Huni is 9/4 for the upset. The draw is 20/1.

Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni Fight Preview

The WBA interim heavyweight championship is on the line in this one. While it is hard to see unified king Oleksandr Usyk facing the winner of this fight any time soon, it does mean that in theory the victor would be in line if he vacates the WBA belt. 

Wardley or Huni will probably have to duke it out with WBA regular champion Kubrat Pulev to fill the main vacancy. Pulev was actually given Wardley as his mandatory for that extraneous championship. He turned the fight down so now Wardley is fighting for the right to…fight Pulev. Still with me? No?

Putting aside the WBA somehow managing to be the worst of an awful bunch when it comes to sanctioning bodies, this is what scientists call “a proper scrap”. Wardley had been set to face Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller on this show. But surprisingly, the man who has withdrawn from fights with Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora in the past then pulled out. Shock.

So Huni gets the date and, if it even is a step-down in level of opposition, it is not a huge one. The Matchroom-promoted Aussie is 12-0 and won bronze at the 2019 World Championships as an amateur. His record does not have big names on it like Miller’s does. But ‘Big Baby’ has also not won a fight in over two years, when he stopped 44-year-old Lucas Browne in a battle of two men who served high-profile drugs bans.

Huni boasts a points win over Kevin Lerena, who dropped current IBF champion Daniel Dubois three times back in 2022 before succumbing in three rounds. Huni is also one of only two people to beat former cruiserweight world title challenger Andrew Tabiti. His record is a decent one after 12 contests, reflected in his standing. Huni was world-ranked with all four sanctioning bodies before taking this contest. The other three have only removed him now because it is the (ridiculous) custom when a fighter accepts a title fight with one of the groups.

What Wardley has been given by the switch is the experience advantage. The 18-0-1 hometown boy is now the man with more ring time under his belt. Wardley knows all about belts. The unbeaten former British and Commonwealth champion, he also held the WBO version of the European title. 

Most people expected British title level to be Wardley’s ceiling. A crowd-pleasing bruiser, a run of pick-em fights has seen the Suffolk puncher elevate his status. First, current British champion David Adeleye was swept aside in front of the watching world on the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou undercard.

Wardley then waged the war to end all wars with Frazer Clarke at The O2 in London. The savagery, bravery and sheer will on show saw the bout win the British Boxing Board of Control Contest of the Year for 2024.

The bitter irony is that the award was handed out after Wardley had utterly decimated Clarke in the first round of a rematch. No fight on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol card was going to steal the show from the classic main event that night. But Wardley’s win, and the unbelievable indentation his punches left on Clarke’s head, came a close second.

Such a zeitgeist-capturing victory meant the time was right for Wardley to try and capitalise on his momentum. The Portman Road fight had been a target for the Ipswich knockout artist throughout his professional career. Whether it was Pulev, Miller or Huni; the time had to be now.

It is easy to wonder if this will be the peak of the Wardley story. A climax in a sport that does not stop when the credits roll. A win on this stage will bring tougher fights and bigger challenges. Even taking Tyson Fury at his word and considering him retired, the heavyweight division is an inhospitable landscape. 

Usyk, Dubois, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker would all start as favourites against Fabio. The likes of Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, Agit Kabayel, Moses Itauma and Andy Ruiz Jr. would give Wardley a better shot, but it is hard to convince yourself he beats more than one or two. There are outliers of course. Former WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie has had just one heavyweight fight against a boxer who is unknown outside his living room, yet is somehow the top-ranked WBC contender. The bloom is off the Martin Bakole rose, while a fight with Dave Allen would sell out an arena.

But even if Portman Road is the peak for Wardley, he deserves this night under the lights for all that he has given us. A fighter that has sought out the toughest challenges and then fought his heart out at the sound of the bell. A former white-collar fighter who became British and Commonwealth champion. From obscurity to the world rankings. Wardley is incredible, even if Huni at the home of the Tractor Boys ends up being his ceiling. 

Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni Full Card

Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni

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Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni Prediction

If this is a firefight, I think Wardley will win. Only two men have stopped him imposing his will and avoided the knockout. Polish journeyman Jakub Wojcik hit the deck but held on to lose every round in a four-session debut for Wardley. Then Clarke secured a draw over 12 before being knocked out in the unofficial 13th round, namely their rematch.

Huni will make this fun while it lasts. The big Aussie does not yet know how to lose. An unbeaten prospect fights with the confidence of a man for whom every fight is an affirmation. Huni is accustomed to being involved in fights he is supposed to win.

But he will not win this one for my money. Wardley has experience of big fights and the pressure of expectation. The large crowd will not phase him. The idea of a tear-up with Huni, who has seven knockouts in 12 fights, will not bother him. Wardley will come in, step on the gas and go home a hero. I’m picking Wardley by knockout at 5/6.

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