Heavyweight Justis Huni: ‘I Always Love To Overcome A Good Challenge’

“It’s plenty of time. I was in training, obviously not in fight preparation training, but I was still training, and as soon as we got the call-up, everything intensified, and we’ve just been putting our heads down and getting to work.”

This bout has shades of Anthony Joshua versus Andy Ruiz Jr., a fan favourite from the UK who was scheduled to face ‘Big Baby’ Miller. On both occasions, the bookmakers made the Briton favourite to win the bout; however, the man from Brisbane is looking to emulate the Mexican by shocking the world.

“I think it’s really dangerous. I’m the complete opposite style of what he was preparing for in Miller. I just feel he’s never seen a style like mine before, and it’s going to be all brand new to him. I’m not just going to be standing there going toe to toe and making it a 50/50 fight; whoever lands the big punch first, it’s going to be a chess match, so I’m looking forward to it.

“I don’t know if he’s going to change anything. He will probably just keep preparing for this fight the way he was and he’s going to get a bit of a surprise once we step in that ring.”

That ring will be in the middle of Portman Road stadium, home to Ipswich Town Football Club, which hasn’t brought much joy to the town during the soccer season, a trend Huni will look to continue by relegating Wardley down the heavyweight rankings.

“I’m looking forward to it. I stepped foot inside the stadium [at the announcement press conference], and it became real. I love the feeling of sitting in the middle of the pitch there and just imagining throwing down with him in front of a huge crowd that’s going to be against me.

“I think every day since I’ve got the call up about the fight, I’ve visualized the way the fight’s going to go and how it’s going to go down, but it’s always good to have plan A and plan B. You never know how the fight’s going to go, but yeah, the way I visualize it is it’s going to be a good, skillful boxing match for myself.

“Like I said, it made it real, and especially sitting there with my opponent, Fabio, it was like, this is where we’re going to be except, we’ll be in the ring, not just on the field. So yeah, I’m just looking forward to it, man. It’s exciting for myself, my career, and my fans to be able to perform in such a big fight in front of such a big crowd.”

Coming from an unlicensed boxing background, Wardley has been a whirlwind in British boxing. The man from Ipswich entered the professional ranks having had zero amateur bouts. Does Huni rate his June 7 opponent? “Oh, of course!” The Australian replied, but is there an element of luck involved in getting the Brit to the number one contender position? “No way,” stated Huni, “I think he still had to win tough fights; you don’t just win those fights off of luck. So credit where credit is due, and he deserves to be on the stage he’s on and having a massive homecoming fight for himself. It’s big, but I’m here to upset that.

“It takes a lot to get in the position he’s in. So, credit where credit is due. He’s earned his spot in the number one in the WBA, and I’ve done the same. I’ve earned my spot to be number one in WBO, so I think this fight was going to happen somewhere along the line, and I’m just grateful we’re going to be getting it on in a few weeks. So yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

The 26-year-old will enter the ring as the underdog for the first time in his career. It’s a role Huni is relishing, “I’ve never really experienced the underdog label, so it feels good.

“I feel like the pressure is not so much on me. So yeah, I think I’m in a really good position here. To be able to take this fight on only five weeks’ notice and to be a massive underdog makes me more hungry. It makes me want to want it more.”

All of the pressure, however, will be on the shoulders of the home fighter. “I know if I was in his position, I would feel a lot of pressure putting on a good performance for everyone that’s coming out to watch him win the WBA interim world title. So I know for sure if I was in his position, I’d be feeling a lot of pressure.”

There will be an interim world title on the line, whether that makes someone a world champion is up for debate, but one thing is certain to the Australian – it puts him in touching distance of a potential undisputed showdown.

“It’s massive. It’s a massive step forward in my career. It opens up massive doors moving forward, and I think this fight, this opportunity only opens up bigger and better opportunities moving forward. So yeah, I have to put on a good performance year to continue moving forward in my career.

“It’s very exciting stuff, man. It almost feels unreal. It feels like last year or the year before I only just turned professional. That’s what it feels like. But yeah, now to be on this stage, only 12 fights into my pro career. It’s massive and it’s a massive achievement to myself and my team to be able to be in this position so early in my career. So I’m just grateful for the opportunities and I’ll continue to be taking these opportunities on.”

After years of hard work, dedication, and visualization, Huni has one message for the boxing world: “Just make sure you tune in and watch me cause a massive upset. Let’s go!”