Fury vs Ngannou: Fabio Wardley settles his feud with David Adeleye on Saturday after a scuffle on the red carpet

Fabio Wardley’s pinnacle of emergence as a big name in the heavyweight division was ruined by a reckless red carpet scuffle.

The British heavyweight champion smiles sadly but he can’t shake the disappointment after being cruelly denied a chance to stand alongside the giants of the fight.

Wardley’s title defense against David Adeleye was confirmed on Saturday as the main supporting fight for Tyson Fury’s fight with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

This was it, a chance for Wardley to sit at the top table with Fury in a press conference in front of a global audience.

But then chaos broke out.

Wardley was conducting an interview when he was pushed heavily by Adeleye, leading to a wild fight of flailing arms and legs, captured on a viral clip on social media.

Despite being flawless, Wardley left the event sighing at the first mention of Adeleye.

“Disappointment to be associated with something like that,” says Wardley Air sports when asked about his dominant emotion.

“I’ve done a lot in my career. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the back and forth. I understand a little mouth here and there, but before it becomes something physical and it takes something away from the fantastic event that it was : the red carpet, the press conference.

“It was supposed to be a huge event, watched by millions of people. We had to be on stage at the big press conference and we had to announce ourselves and get that attention and really capture the moment – ​​and that was all taken away by some.” stupid people with some crazy antics.

“Nothing in my career has ever made me do something like that. I’m not much of a professional. I respect the sport and everything it’s about. It’s just disappointing to be associated with something like that.”

But why did Adeleye do that?

‘Fear, I think. Nerves,” Wardley answers immediately.

“I’ve been through these things in my career, I’ve done big events, I’ve done big shows, big press conferences. I’m calm, I feel at ease. It’s something normal for me now, which almost sounds funny to say say.

“But I don’t mind being there, I enjoy it very much, so I like to stand and look around and enjoy the event, while other people, a few cameras, a few lights, get nervous. heart starts beating and anticipation increases and crazy things like that come up.

‘I doubt he regrets it. He probably thinks it’s some kind of plus or some kind of boast, or he made it up.

“All it shows me is your kind of mentality, where you are now and how you’re not ready for an event of this magnitude.”

Wardley claimed the British title with a dramatic early stoppage of Nathan Gorman on a Dillian Whyte undercard last November, while he stopped American contender Michael Coffie with an Anthony Joshua bill in April.

It has been a steep upward journey for the former unlicensed fighter, who now joins the world No. 1 champion, a former world champion, world title challengers and leading contenders from the sport’s top division in Riyadh.

“With my trajectory, the way I go. It’s not an inspiration per se (fighting on the same bill as Fury), but it’s a north star. It’s a point, something to look at and go for.

“He (Fury) has had some huge fights, huge stages and big events and those are the kind of things I want to be a part of.

“It’s all fun and games at the moment, the chef supporting these events, but obviously at some point I want it to be Wardley with big names and bright lights.”

A grudge match against Adeleye was not the original plan for Wardley, who had welcomed the prospect of a major domestic clash with Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke.

But the proposed fight fell through, with Clarke’s team seeking more preparation before facing Wardley in a high-stakes fight.

“It certainly could happen,” Wardley said. “I thought it could happen last time.”

“But at least from my side it can definitely happen. It’s still a fight I’m open to.”

He added: “Based on his most recent performance, yes, he was absolutely right (to delay it). Whether it was him or it was his team saying, ‘You’re not quite there yet.’ But whoever made that decision, to be honest, I think they made the right decision.”

From Lewis-Bruno to Joshua-Whyte, British boxing has been strengthened by heavyweight rivalry and Wardley believes he and Clarke can drive up public demand.

“We come from very different backgrounds, in terms of our boxing backgrounds, so there’s playing with styles where one comes from one side of the river and one comes from the other in that build-up.

“But that’s something we can definitely build towards.”

Adeleye takes first place this weekend and Wardley gets the chance to create his own viral moment.

“I’ll make sure he remembers that fight for 1,000 percent the wrong reasons,” he said.

“He’ll remember it because it’s going to be one of the biggest shows, one of the biggest spotlights, and it’s going to be on him.

“The biggest photo finish will be him on the floor.”

Fabio Wardley is one VOW nutrition ambassador, the sports supplements Trusted by the Elite.