British heavyweight boxer Fabio Wardley has dismissed complaints from Justis Huni’s camp over the way their recent fight ended, insisting the referee made the right call and saved the Australian from further damage.
The fight, which took place on Saturday night at Portman Road in Ipswich, ended dramatically in the 10th round when Wardley landed a powerful right hand that sent Huni crashing to the canvas. Although Huni was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time, the referee, John Latham, stopped the bout just before completing a 10-count, signaling that Huni was in no condition to continue.
The decision sparked protest from Huni’s team, particularly his promoter Mick Francis, who questioned the timing of the stoppage and argued that the fight should not have been ended so quickly.
“It’s a world title fight, not some backyard scrap,” Francis said angrily after the bout. “We’re lodging a protest with the WBA. Huni wasn’t given a fair chance to get back up.”
But Wardley, now boasting an unbeaten record of 19 wins and one draw, was quick to defend the referee’s decision. Posting on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) the next day, Wardley shared a video showing the referee’s count and claimed that the timing was within the rules.
“For educational purposes,” he wrote, “the count starts the second Huni hits the canvas. The fourth official outside the ring starts the count and the referee takes his cue from there.”
When some fans replied suggesting that the referee had stopped the fight just shy of the full 10 seconds, Wardley responded firmly.
“The referee is allowed to stop the fight at any point if he feels the fighter is not fit to continue,” he wrote. “It’s not just about making the count. You have to be fully alert and able to convince the ref you’re okay. Clearly, Huni wasn’t.”
Wardley added that allowing the fight to continue might have resulted in Huni suffering more serious injury. “Then what? I unload more shots and render him unconscious? Then the ref gets blamed for not stepping in early enough? Which outcome would you prefer?” he asked.
Despite the controversy, Huni himself appeared calm in his post-fight comments. Speaking at a press conference, he said he had no intention of making a big issue out of the stoppage.
“It is what it is,” Huni said. “Fabio deserves to enjoy his win. What are we going to do—argue all night? The result stays the same. I’ll be back.”
However, others in his camp remain unconvinced. Spencer Brown, part of Huni’s management and promotional team, also questioned the stoppage, saying: “We’ve looked at it—it looks like a nine-count to me. He was groggy, but he was coming around.”
The fight had been billed as a major test for both fighters, with Wardley entering as a rising British star and Huni looking to make a mark internationally. Wardley’s dramatic knockout win has certainly boosted his reputation, but the controversial ending has kept debate alive in boxing circles.
As of now, the World Boxing Association (WBA) has not made any official statement regarding the protest. But with both fighters still in their prime and the fight ending on such a contentious note, fans may be calling for a rematch sooner rather than later.
