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Fabio Wardley achieved a massive upset to shatter Joseph Parker's hopes of becoming a double world heavyweight champion on Saturday and placed himself in contention for a opportunity at unbeaten champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Remarkable Comeback Victory

The English fighter is now the primary competitor for the Ukrainian after he claimed a stunning comeback victory by ending the veteran New Zealander in the 11th round of an thrilling and physical battle at London's O2 Arena.

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

Dramatic Celebration

The Ipswich native raised the crowd to their feet and collapsed to the floor in triumph as his training team rushed into the ring to rejoice.

They were superb scenes as the previous white-collar boxer maintained his outstanding rise in the boxing world.

Controversial Stoppage

There was an argument that the intervention was premature, especially given Parker had dominated for large parts of the fight and hurt Wardley numerous times with powerful rights.

But the 33-year-old New Zealander gave little argument when Foster intervened and his trainer Andy Lee did not look to remonstrate as his man endured his fourth pro defeat.

Wardley's After-Match Comments

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

"All credit to Joseph, he can't get enough esteem and he merits all the esteem from the boxing fraternity. He took a chance when he didn't have to, and we realized he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to choose our spots and eventually we got them out of there."

Critical Moment

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

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

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

Promoter's Confident Outlook

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

Wardley's Remarkable Journey Progresses

It was a top names of the British heavyweight division 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 dressed in Ipswich Town hues with the football club's crest featured on his kit.

Significant Career Progression

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

Yet here he was on the equivalent level as the seasoned Kiwi in a fight to determine the next challenger for Usyk, the top heavyweight of this era.

Fight Analysis

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

As chants of 'Oh Fabio Wardley' rang around the arena, Parker established control with a powerful of a jab that soon produced 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 powerful of a right hand.

Thrilling Momentum Shift

Parker's control vanished 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 perfect shot and got those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked shaky on his.

The experience of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be critical here. Wardley was always threatening, but Parker was connecting the better shots through the intermediate rounds.

Final Rounds and Victory

The Kiwi's left uppercuts to the body and right hands over the top were a notable feature, but Wardley's own backhand remained a danger.

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

He guaranteed his amazing story would get another chapter against Usyk when he swarmed Parker in the 11th with a volley of shots which pressured Foster to intervene.

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

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk sought a medical dispensation to defer his compulsory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his consultant Serge Lapin recently affirmed that the undefeated champion was prepared to face the winner of this bout.

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

Rapid 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 ascent to this standing has been substantially fast tracked.

But now he is in a place to face the best heavyweight of this period which is a dramatic tale.

Parker's Future Considerations

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

He undertook a huge gamble here and his prospects of reclaiming a share of the world heavyweight crown have been lessened.