Next Brit up: Could Fabio Wardley actually beat Oleksandr Usyk?

It was brutal, absorbing, divisive and the winner was, in the eyes of many, unexpected.

Fabio Wardley's victory over Joseph Parker was a huge achievement for the Ipswich fighter and provided fans with another heavyweight thriller.

In the aftermath, Wardley -- and perhaps more importantly promoter Frank Warren -- made it clear what they want, nay, expect, to happen next: A date with Oleksandr Usyk; the man who has haunted British fighters for years.

The fight is expected to be ordered by the WBO and Warren said it will likely land around March next year, with London and Riyadh the front-runners to host.

Interestingly, Wardley said he wants to head to the United States, which would not only be huge for him, but the U.S. has yet to witness Usyk as a heavyweight.

The logistics are all insignificant when compared to the main question: Can Wardley actually win?

Several Brits have tried and failed and the list is a distinguished one: Tony Bellew (at cruiserweight), Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua (twice), Tyson Fury (twice) and Daniel Dubois (twice) all came up short against the generational great Usyk.

Wardley has made no secret about his unique journey to the top. He is now the white-collar fighter with little amateur experience who has positioned himself as the No. 2 heavyweight in the world.

However, he was also at pains to point out he isn't wanting to fight Usyk for the fun of it. He wants all four belts and believes he can cause the Ukrainian problems.

"I'm not planning on getting in the ring with Usyk and going 'thanks for having me' and rolling over. When that bell does go, he's going to have to work for it," Wardley said.

Of course, you would expect an elite fighter to have that attitude but -- so far anyway -- Wardley has backed it up.

He was down on the cards after Round 10 against Parker but got the stoppage; the 19th of his career. He absorbed a lot of good shots, but proved he has one of the best engines in the division and pushed forward.

On several occasions it looked as though Parker was on the cusp of a knockdown, but Wardley kept coming, refusing to be beaten.

He won't try and out-box Usyk, but if and when he does take his punches, Wardley has shown he can handle it. As for how he can win the fight, he has what Warren refers to as the great equaliser. In some ways, he is Britain's answer to Deontay Wilder.

"There are levels. And then there is Fabio Warley who's got a leveller and it's 'that and that,'" Warren said as he raised both fists.

"And if he catches you, you are out the game."

All of this sets up an intriguing year for the heavyweight division.

With any luck, Wardley, Usyk, Dubois, Agit Kabayel (who will fight in January), Moses Itauma and Joshua will all fight by April.

While Joshua has been inactive, he is still one of the biggest stars on the planet, and his potential fight in Africa will be a sight to behold.

If fans want to see the best fighting the best, they should be fine with Usyk fighting Wardley, who has earned his shot. Usyk has also beat all-comers so far, and should want a fresh challenge.

You may doubt Wardley, but he as proved everyone wrong so far. Who is to say he can't do it again?