Fabio Wardley knocked out Frazer Clarke in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, settling their rivalry with a stunning first-round finish. The bout ended the unfinished business from their previous split draw.
Wardley improved his record to 18-0 with 17 knockouts after landing a massive overhand right that sent Clarke reeling. The 270-pound Olympian tried to survive but couldn't withstand Wardley's follow-up attack.
The fight started with Clarke landing some stiff jabs. Wardley, who had dismissed pre-fight worries about scar tissue on his nose, showed no signs of bleeding early on.
As the round neared its end, Wardley unleashed a huge overhand right that sent Clarke onto the ropes. The Olympian went into survival mode, landing a good uppercut but quickly turning his back. Wardley capitalized with another right hand that crumpled Clarke in the dying seconds of the first round.
After the fight, Wardley said:
"Once I hurt someone I can get rid of them. I made some errors in the first fight. I went into that fight with a lot of background issues. My team said maybe we shouldn't take it. This time, I put my gameplan together … War by name war by nature. Once I have my enemies hurt, there's no helping them. Unless that bell comes that's the only thing that can save you."
Wardley's future looks bright as he's likely to vacate the British and Commonwealth Titles and set his sights on world belts.
Clarke received oxygen in his corner after the fight but showed sportsmanship by paying respect to his opponent. Andy Lee, a former world champion turned trainer and pundit, speculated that the final devastating shot may have broken Clarke's jaw.
The knockout settled the score between the two fighters after their previous match ended in a split draw, where Wardley had scored the sole knockdown.
