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

Stunning Comeback Victory

The British fighter is now the number one challenger for the Ukrainian after he claimed a remarkable comeback victory by stopping the seasoned New Zealander in the 11th round of an thrilling and bruising battle at London's O2 Arena.

Wardley, 30, won the WBO 'interim' title when he forced referee Howard Foster to stop the bout as he attacked former world champion Parker, who had been hurt badly in the 10th by a right uppercut.

Emotional Celebration

The Ipswich native raised the crowd to their feet and collapsed to the floor in triumph as his support crew rushed into the ring to celebrate.

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

Controversial Stoppage

There was an debate that the halt was early, especially given Parker had commanded for large parts of the fight and hurt Wardley numerous times with right hands.

But the 33-year-old New Zealander provided little argument when Foster intervened and his trainer Andy Lee did not look to object as his man experienced his fourth career defeat.

Wardley's Victory Comments

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

"All recognition to Joseph, he can't get enough admiration and he merits all the admiration from the boxing world. He undertook a chance when he didn't have to, and we knew he wasn't going anywhere quickly. We had to select our spots and finally we got them out of there."

Critical Moment

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

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

Parker gambled his position as the primary contender for Usyk's championship by taking this fight, dropping to his fourth career defeat.

Promoter's Assured 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 36-minute fight and it only takes one second from him."

Wardley's Incredible Journey Progresses

It was a elite group of the British heavyweight scene 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 adorned in Ipswich Town hues with the football club's crest featured on his kit.

Notable Career Progression

He commented in the build-up how it was amazing that when Parker was winning 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 establish the next challenger for Usyk, the greatest heavyweight of this era.

Fight Description

With Lee in his corner, Parker was on a winning run coming into this bout of six victories including successes 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 brought blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter's nose.

The conclusion to the first three minutes was decisive from the expected winner as Parker charged through with a rocket of a right hand.

Exciting Momentum Shift

Parker's control disappeared when a right hand from Wardley stunned him in the second.

It would be a forerunner to what would happen later in the fight. It was a perfect shot and brought those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unstable on his.

The experience of Parker, in his 40th career fight, looked like it was going to be vital here. Wardley was always risky, but Parker was hitting 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 specific strength, but Wardley's own backhand remained a risk.

The fight looked to be waning in the eighth before it erupted back into life and swung decisively back in Wardley's favour in the 10th.

He made sure his remarkable story would get another chapter against Usyk when he swarmed Parker in the 11th with a flurry of shots which compelled Foster to intervene.

It may have been premature but Wardley will argue that Parker was taking substantial punishment.

Usyk Showdown - What Next for Wardley?

Usyk applied for a medical exemption to defer his mandatory defence of the WBO title because of a back injury, but his consultant Serge Lapin recently verified that the unbeaten champion was prepared to face the winner of this bout.

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

Fast Ascent to the Top

With just twenty-one career fights on the back of no amateur background having arrived from the white-collar scene, Wardley is still raw and his ascent to this standing has been significantly fast tracked.

But now he is in a place to take on the top heavyweight of this generation which is a cinematic tale.

Parker's Future Options

Parker will now have to deliberately think about his next step, given his age and how long he has been participating at the highest level.

He took a huge risk here and his prospects of regaining a share of the world heavyweight crown have been diminished.