Parker-Wardley: WBO and WBA interim titles on the line in London

Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley will meet in a high-stakes heavyweight showdown on Saturday, October 25 at the O2 Arena in London, with Parker's WBO interim title and Wardley's WBA interim crown on the line and the winner likely to be positioned for a shot at undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk. The bout will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view, priced at about 24.99 pounds in the United Kingdom and 59.99 dollars in the United States.

Parker, 33, a former WBO world champion with a 36-3 record and 24 knockouts, accepted the fight rather than waiting on a scheduled mandatory shot at Usyk after the champion was delayed by injury. Parker enters the fight on a run of victories that has restored him to contender status, including wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole. Wardley, 30, is unbeaten with a record of 19-0-1 and 18 knockouts, and captured the WBA interim title in June when he stopped Justis Huni with a single-punch knockout in the 10th round after trailing on the cards.

Both fighters and their teams have framed the bout as a legitimate eliminator. Parker said he took the match because he wants to "be involved in big fights" and to "fight the best in...