Fabio Wardley vs Frazer Clarke produced a brutal but controversial draw in their all-British heavyweight boxing blockbuster on Sky Sports in London on Sunday night.
These two domestic warriors showed incredible cojones in a fascinating fight for the British and Commonwealth titles, which delivered thrills, spills and no little blood in 12 brutal rounds.
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Clarke (now 8-0-1) was the smarter technical fighter, bringing all of his extensive amateur experience into play. He had Wardley in trouble on several occasions and caused terrible damage to Fabio’s nose as well as closing the Ipswich man’s right eye.
Wardley (17-0-1) though had dynamite in his fists and scored a crucial fifth-round knockdown. That, and the point deducted from Clarke in Round 7 for a low blow, meant Fabio – ranked 14 by the WBC – was able to claim a draw after the scorecards were announced. He too stays unbeaten, and we are now likely to see these two behemoths do it all again.
Clarke starts strong
Clarke made a really decent start in a fascinating opening session by winning the battle of the jab. His stiff left lead landed often while Wardley in the meantime looked to counter with that big overhand right which has done for so many opponents.
The second was a cracking session which ebbed and flowed. Wardley started with a big right to the body and tried to follow up to the head but Clarke again looked calm and composed in handling it, with all of that amateur experience behind him.
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Frazer then produced a couple of lovely uppercuts which went through the Wardley guard. Fabio responded late in the round though with that big overhand right landing flush and stiffening the legs of Clarke. There was blood coming from the bridge of Wardley’s nose though as the round ended.
The action was again good in Round Three with both men feeling each other’s power. Again it was that wide overhand right from Wardley landing flush, but again Clarke surviving the dark moments. Frazer himself was still boxing well when not under fire, and it was a terrific start to the fight.
Frazer was very much back on top in the fourth, landing by far the better of the punches, both in terms of volume and quality. He was again landing first with his stiff jab and mixing in powerful right hands which stopped Wardley’s forward march. Fabio did land one big right, but it was Clarke’s round as he once again impressed.
Wardley turns the tide
Wardley was much much improved in the fifth as he came out with bad intentions, again throwing big rights but following up now with stiff jabs. He was on top for most of the round and late in the session he really turned the tide, decking Clarke with a right and then a left as Frazer went backwards fast. It was the first knockdown of the night, would it really change the dynamic of this excellent domestic scrap?
Clarke appeared to have recovered well from that knockdown as they started the sixth, but by the midway point of the round Wardley was again on the offensive, this time with an uppercut and a long right hand both landing. Clarke hit back, but it was the Wardley bombs which were showing the potential to prove decisive.
Wardley had the momentum moving into the second half of the bout and Clarke’s task got even harder in the seventh as he was docked a point by referee Steve Gray for a low blow. That apart, it was bruising stuff again as Frazer landed a lovely uppercut and Wardley responded with another sharp right hand. Both men were looking weary as they headed back to their corners.
Back comes Frazer
Wardley expended a lot of energy in the first half of Round 8, but he could not make a dent as Clarke rode out the storm. Frazer then hit back with multiple right hands which landed flush. Fabio was looking tired as the round ended and he had now gone further than ever before in the professional ranks. Now he would need to dig deep for the stretch run.
The ninth was another super round for Clarke as he started to throw more body shots, and Wardley clearly felt the force of them. The damage to Fabio’s nose was by now very significant and he also had swelling under his right eye. Right now it was Clarke looking stronger, more composed and landing the better shots.
The 10th was a cracking round, the embodiment of heavyweight boxing at its most brutal. Wardley was again on the receiving end in the early stages and midway through the session referee Gray called in the doctor to look at that nose damage. Fabio was allowed to continue and he immediately had Clarke in trouble with a big right followed by a violent flurry. Frazer lost his gumshield, and the resulting break bought him some much needed respite.
Wardley fighting on instinct
While Wardley’s nose was brutally damaged and his right eye virtually closed, this one appeared to be still in the melting pot thanks to that knockdown and docked point for Clarke. The 11th brought more terrific action as Clarke loaded up with a right and a left and Wardley somehow summoned the strength to hit back.
Both men were now in uncharted territory as they came out for the 12th and final round to huge cheers from the O2 crowd, but which man would have his hand raised? We had three minutes of action left.
Fabio, showing incredible cojones despite his injuries, came out swinging in the final session and landed a lovely body shot. But by the midway point he was exhausted and then seriously wobbled by a huge right from Clarke. Somehow Wardley hung on to hear the final bell as we went to the scorecards.
To the scorecards
After an agonising wait we got the verdict, delivered by Sky Sports ring announcer ‘Big Mo’. Nobody was sure just which way it would go.
Judge Michael Alexander: 114-113 Wardley
Judge Howard Foster: 115-112 Clarke
Judge Mark Bates: 113-113
And so, those 22/1 odds for the Draw were landed after a fantastic night of action. And now of course, we may have to see a rematch. Get the popcorn…
Watch the highlights now
You can watch the highlights of a cracking fight right now, courtesy of Sky Sports on YouTube.
Just click the video embed below to watch…
