Heavyweights Frazer Clarke and Fabio Wardley ended their bout in a draw at The O2 Arena in London last night. After 12 rounds, the scores revealed a split decision that retained Wardley's British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. The judges' scores were 114-113 for Wardley, 115-112 for Clarke, and 113-113 for a draw.
The battle saw key moments that defined its pace. In the fifth round, Wardley knocked Clarke down but Clarke recovered after an eight-count. Two rounds later, Clarke was deducted a point for a low blow, giving Wardley an apparent lead. By the tenth round, a ringside doctor had to check on Wardley's heavy nose bleed, yet allowed the fight to continue.
Fabio Wardley, aged 29 with superior professional experience, showed signs of fatigue by the fifth round. This was his first time going beyond seven rounds. Frazer Clarke, aged 32 and an Olympic bronze medalist, gave an impressive performance from the start with his consistent jab and ability to fight back.
Throughout the match, Clarke managed to land rights to Wardley’s head and body which set the pace for most of the fight. Despite being trapped towards the ropes and knocked down in round five by Wardley, Clarke was saved by the bell and remained competitive due to consistent jabbing that caused heavy nosebleeds for Wardley.
The fight concluded as a draw, but many considered Clarke unfortunate not to win after producing what some described as his finest performance. Team actions also heightened tensions; Dillian Whyte from Wardley's team even remonstrated with referee Steve Gray in attempts to influence the fight.
Both fighters came into this matchup with considerable anticipation due to their contrasting styles and achievements. Fabio Wardley is known for his agility and quick advancements in professional boxing circles while Frazer Clarke brought to this match his extensive amateur experience underscored by winning Olympic bronze.
Steve Gray, serving as the referee marked another high-profile match under his officiation amidst debates over decisions especially related to allowing fights to continue despite injuries like heavy nosebleeds witnessed in this bout.
Full Fight Card Results with Scorecards
- Fabio Wardley vs Frazer Clarke – Draw, split decision (114-113 for Wardley, 115-112 for Clarke, and 113-113 for a draw).
- Chris Kongo vs Florian Marku – Kongo wins by unanimous decision (96-94, 96-93, and 98-92 in favor of Chris Kongo).
- Alen Babic vs Steve Robinson – Babic wins by TKO in the sixth round.
- Viddal Riley vs Mikael Lawal – Riley wins by unanimous decision (98-92 and 99-91 twice)
- Ben Whittaker vs Leon Willings – Whittaker wins by unanimous decision (78-73)
- Callum Simpson vs Abdallah Paziwapazi – Simpson wins by KO/TKO in the fourth round.
