Fabio Wardley came out of the O2 Arena in London a bit bruised but still unfazed, his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles were still topping the boxing trophy cabinet on a split decision against Frazer Clarke. The highly awaited conflict exceeded its expectations, as round 12 delivered through exhaustion both fighters along with an energetic crowd typing for more.
Clarke, the favored but kickback, with a 6-0 record and a bronze medal boxing medal at the 2012 London Olympics, walked into the ring confident of beating the ghost of Haye. It should be known that Wardley had a winning streak for his last fight in which he brought about a spectacular knockout win leading him to the top of the British heavyweight division.
These were falling to her in the early rounds. He used a sharp jab and a surprising footwork of his own to frustrate Wardley. He chose to attack the champion’s nose which became his main target. He scored points with his sharp jabs to mark up the champion’s face. According to Wardley, who had a reputation for his powerful fist attacks, feinting, and precise delivery were goals that were never achieved.
The fifth round turned the tide in an overturned way. The pugilist Wardley let loose a series of combos to floor the tough guy Clarke for the only knockdown in that fight. Despite that, Clarke was brought back to his feet, dodging many attacks and making it to the final bell.
The battle now started to resemble a war of attrition. In the meantime, Wardley was looking for one loose swing and Clarke remained circling, poking Wardley with plenty of jabs. The fight heated up in the seventh when Clarke had to give up a point due to a low blow.
Though the obstacle was the challenger, Clarke remained a challenger. In the final rounds, both fighters were locked in absolute combat, swinging devastating punches at each other while wearing a sickening expression of fatigue due to perceived defeat but unwilling to give way. By the final bell, things were too close to tell who would win without further consideration.
The decision from the judges was divided half-and-half, showing the closeness of the battle. One of the judges gave Wardley the edge of 114-113, while Clarke got a tally of 115-112, however, the decision of the third official marked it a draw of 113-113.
Both fighters settled for a draw by the end of the fierce fight. Wardley held on to his belts, but he certainly had his indomitable strength undermined. Clarke feeling that he was losing the contest had to admit that he was now considered a promising boxer in the British heavyweight division. A rematch appears to be a natural consequence of this battle, with them hopefully having learned very useful lessons from this tremendous contest.
The draw has changed the face of the division by introducing fresh possibilities. As the defender, Wardley will have to bolster his defense and react to Clarke’s agility and ability to jab. Clark has to work on his power punching in addition to creating a serious finishing spirit.
