A back-and-forth battle between the two heavyweight stars ends in a controversial stoppage, leaving Fabio Wardley in an undeniable position for a shot at the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Fabio stunned the New Zealand veteran early in the fight with a powerful uppercut in the second round.

The Brit, however, was unable to fully capitalise on the early damage he inflicted on Parker, as some crude clinching combined with a questionable gum-shield removal from the former champion allowed him to survive the early turmoil.

Following Parker’s shaky start, round three saw the former champion beginning to find his feet.

Parker was able to establish his jab well, while also finding the range for a lunging left hook that was catching Wardley as he overcommitted with his right hand.

Parker’s success only continued into the fourth as it became clear the former champion was feeling confident.

He applied steady pressure, ensuring he stayed on the front foot throughout the round, even catching Wardley with a sharp left hook that shook the legs of the Brit and forced him back onto the ropes.

As the fight moved into the middle rounds, it looked like Wardley may have jumped in the deep end too quickly, as Parker continued to bank rounds while remaining the more accurate and aggressive of the two.

Parker appeared to hurt Wardley several times during this stretch, but each time Wardley threw back with increased fury in response.

Round nine saw Wardley the most hurt he had been all night, as once again he was backed up against the ropes and Parker unleashed a barrage of punches, forcing Wardley to hold.

The tides began to shift, though, when a huge uppercut in the tenth stunned Parker as he wobbled into the middle of the ring, leaving Wardley with fifteen seconds to unleash almost everything he had. Parker, however, was able to survive another round as the bell sounded at the end of the tenth.

Wardley returned to his corner only to be met by a strong but appropriate message from his coach Ben Davison: “You need to finish him.”

Fired up by his corner, Wardley caught Parker with a huge right hand early in the eleventh.

A sustained attack from Wardley,  throwing punches non-stop from every angle for 45 seconds straight with little to nothing coming back, saw the referee step in and call an end to the fight.

Although it could be argued that Parker wasn’t seriously hurt, his inability to throw back against Wardley’s relentless assault was ultimately enough for the referee to call it.

What was meant to be a risky stay-busy fight for the former champion in Parker ended with no reward.

With Wardley emerging as the mandatory challenger for the undisputed heavyweight king, Oleksandr Usyk.

Following the third defeat of his career, Parker will once again be forced to rebuild, a great disappointment following a previous six-fight winning streak.