Fabio Wardley Scores Shocking 10th-Round KO Over Justis Huni

Ipswich, UK - In front of a raucous home crowd and with the WBA interim heavyweight title on the line, Fabio Wardley 19-0-1 (18 KOs) produced a moment of pure boxing theatre — a dramatic, come-from-behind 10th-round knockout of previously unbeaten Australian Justis Huni 12-1 (7 KOs) on Saturday night at Portman Road.'

The knockout came after nine rounds of methodical, technically brilliant boxing by Huni, who was outlanding Wardley, outmaneuvering him, and gradually breaking him down with body work and precision. But in heavyweight boxing, all it takes is one — and Wardley found it when it mattered most.

A Fight of Two Narratives

The bout began with tension and electricity in the Ipswich night air. With 25,000 fans behind him, Wardley entered as the hometown favorite, unbeaten and full of confidence. But he faced a serious test in Huni, the polished former amateur standout who stepped in on short notice to replace Jarrell Miller and challenge for the interim crown.

Huni made his intentions clear early. He boxed sharply from the outside, landing jabs to the head and body, followed by crisp combinations and sharp left hooks inside. His footwork was superior. His defense was tight. And round by round, he quietly dismantled Wardley’s rhythm.

Wardley struggled to cut the ring and looked increasingly dejected. His jab was inconsistent, and his right hand — usually his equalizer — couldn’t find the mark. Huni slipped, ducked, and turned out of danger. By the end of the sixth round, even the DAZN commentary team had it clearly in Huni’s favor, with some suggesting Wardley needed a knockout.

Huni’s Best Work

Rounds 7 through 9 were textbook Huni. He backed Wardley to the ropes, punished him to the body, and split his guard with chopping right hands and hooks to the chin. The crowd, lively early, had gone quiet. The fight had taken on a familiar shape: one man boxing cleanly, the other swinging and missing.

In the ninth, Huni seemed to hurt Wardley with a heavy body shot and followed up with an uppercut and hook combination that further sapped the Brit’s energy. When the round ended, the unofficial scores read 88–83, 87–84 — all in favor of Huni. There was no doubt about it: Wardley needed a miracle.

And then, in the tenth, he delivered it.

KO 10: The Ipswich Miracle

Early in Round 10, Huni once again dictated the pace. He landed a right hand, followed by a clean left hook. Wardley, still game, tried to find the mark with his own right — and missed. Huni slipped, countered, and looked in total control.

Then came the moment.

As they exchanged right hands, Wardley connected flush with a chopping right that turned the entire fight — and possibly his career. Huni went down hard, flat on his back, and didn’t move as the referee waved it off. The crowd erupted. Ipswich went ballistic. In one punch, Wardley erased nine rounds of frustration and announced himself on the world stage.

A Heavyweight Shakeup

With the win, Wardley claims the WBA Interim Heavyweight Title and moves one step closer to a shot at the full WBA “Regular” crown, likely against the winner of Kubrat Pulev vs. Michael Hunter, who fight next as part of the WBA's four-man box-off. Oleksandr Usyk remains the WBA “Super” champion.

Huni, who gave a near-perfect account of himself for 27 minutes, suffers the first defeat of his career. The loss will sting — especially after dominating so thoroughly — but the performance showed his immense potential and ring IQ. If anything, this might make him a more dangerous opponent going forward.

Final Thoughts

Boxing fans live for this type of night — when the script is flipped, when the crowd becomes the story, and when one punch changes everything. Wardley, who looked beaten in every sense just minutes earlier, walked out of Portman Road a national hero and a legitimate contender in a wide-open heavyweight landscape.

Don’t be surprised if this one lands in the running for Knockout of the Year — or Comeback of the Year.