I sparred with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk – but one man hits harder than all of them

03/03/2024 04:00 AM

Dillian Whyte is the hardest hitting heavyweight around, according to British champion Fabio Wardley.

The 29-year-old was introduced to boxing through the white-collar scene and turned pro without having a single amateur fight.

As a result, he saw it necessary to gain plenty of experience through sparring.

And Wardley has made sure to take on the very best while learning as a young professional.

“I've ticked most of them off now,” he told talkSPORT.

“I've done Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk, Filip Hrgovic, Derek Chisora.

“All the big names and top ten guys, I've ticked them all off, which is something I'm quite happy with and I'm thankful to them for giving me that opportunity.”

When asked who hits hardest out of all the fighters he has sparred, Wardley said: “I've done more rounds with some than others.

“Like with Joshua I've only done maybe ten rounds in total, whereas with Hrgovic I spent about a month in Miami with him training.

“When you spend more time with someone there's more opportunity for them to land some sweeter shots.

“But, the single time I've been hit the hardest is Dillian Whyte I think.

“When he's caught me with that quick check left hook a few times and it catches you by surprise.”

Wardley is managed by Whyte, which admittedly may have played a part in his answer, though the Body Snatcher’s power has been shown before as he is 29-0 (19 KOs).

Whyte is currently inactive having failed a drugs test before his proposed rematch with AJ last year.

However, one name Wardley didn’t mention among those he’s sparred with is Francis Ngannou.

Many believe Ngannou may hit harder than all of the current crop of top heavyweights, having floored Fury in his pro debut last year.

Now, he will be tested once again as he takes on Anthony Joshua on Friday night Riyadh.