Fabio Wardley will now fight Justis Huni in a heavyweight showdown in Ipswich, England on Saturday June 7th. With Jarrell Miller withdrawing from the WBA interim title fight, Huni, an undefeated Australian, steps in for a huge stadium show. Huni, age 26, has already fought this year with a second-round stoppage of Shaun Potgieter on the Gold Coast. His most significant pro win was a hard-fought Riyadh Season victory over the South African Kevin Lerena in March of last year. Lerena is now the WBC bridgerweight champion. This will be Huni's opening experience of fighting on UK soil, with his only other ventures outside of Australia coming in Saudi Arabia and Cancun, Mexico.
On the undercard at Portman Road is a classic British title confrontation at junior middleweight between the Commonwealth champion Sam Gilley (18-1, 9 KOs) and Louis Greene. It will be a re-run of the 2023 encounter, which Gilley won via unanimous decision. Greene has since scored a first-round stoppage over the previously unbeaten Jack McGann on a Riyadh Season event in March of last year.
At cruiserweight, the Cuban Mike Perez (30-3-1, 21 KOs) who resides in Cork, Ireland, will fight Belfast's Steven Ward. Perez comes into the fight off the back of eight straight wins since losing by decision in a WBC title challenge against Mairis Briedis in 2017. Ward (15-3, 5 KOs), defeated fellow Belfast fighter Tommy McCarthy via a sixth-round stoppage last time out in March.
“I am very happy that we have been able to bring in probably an even tougher opponent for Fabio in Justis Huni,” said promoter Frank Warren. “This will be a great fight between two young heavyweights on the rise and with an eye on the big prize.
“Justis holds the #1 spot in the WBO rankings, so it says a lot about him that he is prepared to surrender his position to fight Fabio in a 50-50 on paper for the WBA interim title. There is also the added dimension of Justis being a Matchroom fighter and we’ve got a lead to protect.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
Irish junior welterweight Pierce O’Leary (16-0, 9 KOs) is scheduled to fight an opponent to be named later. The card also features two British Olympians: heavyweight Delicious Orie in fight #2 as a pro, plus the professional debut of bronze medal winner Lewis Richardson, who will be fighting at junior middleweight. Orie will be in four-round action, with Richardson fighting over six.
Local Ipswich super bantamweight Jack Williams (2-0, 1 KO, 4 rounds), Enfield lightweight Lillie Winch (4-0, 6 rounds), London super featherweight Christian Fetti (5-0, 4 rounds), Ilford featherweight Umar Khan (11-0, 1 KO, 8 rounds) and Lowestoft super lightweight Keano White (4-0, 1 KO, 4 rounds) complete the card.
“A show like this deserves a British title battle and that is what we will get when Sam Gilley and Lewis Greene trade bombs, plus we’ve got a European title fight for Pierce O’Leary at super lightweight that will position him for big nights in Ireland.
“I am also particularly looking forward to seeing our Olympians show their pedigree, with Delicious having his second pro fight and we welcome Lewis Richardson to Queensberry for his debut.”
