Dance partners, glory & regret – Wardley-Clarke enters 13th round

We go again.

British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley will defend his title against Frazer Clarke in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, seven months after the pair battled to a bruising draw in a modern day classic.

In a back and forth fight of the year contender, the pair answered critics and displayed enough vulnerabilities to entertain London’s O2 Arena crowd.

It led to a split-decision result, but neither man is planning to leave it in the judges’ hands second time around.

“We’ve found a good dance partner in each other but I plan on knocking him out spectacularly,” Clarke, 33, tells BBC Sport.

Suffolk-born Wardley, 29, added: “After I knock Frazer out I will put myself in the higher echelon of fighters who are fringe world-level boxers.”

The rematch will take place on the undercard of the hugely-anticipated undisputed light-heavyweight bout between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh.

What happened in the first fight?

The pair were ordered to fight for the British title in April 2023 but Clarke’s team withdrew on the day of scheduled purse bids, leading to a public spat between their respective teams over the next 12 months.

But Wardley-Clarke was worth the wait when they finally shared the ring on Easter Sunday in a result decided by small margins and judges’ preferences – the aggression by Wardley or the technical ability of Olympic bronze medallist Clarke.

Timing was also key. Clarke was dropped in the final seconds of round five. Had it been any earlier, perhaps Wardley – who had a handful of unlicensed white collar bouts before turning pro – would have finished the job.

Wardley was then staggered in the 12th round. Another minute may have proved the difference.

Clarke, who let out a frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes at the decision, says he came to terms with the result almost immediately but “should have put his foot on the gas”, while Wardley feels he could have been “more clinical”.

Despite the boxers’ regrets, however, the gruelling match-up was perfectly summed up by BBC boxing pundit Steve Bunce, who posted on X: “A privilege to watch. One of the greatest British heavyweight fights to ever take place. They deserve every prize. Thank you both.”

Round 13 or a new fight?

Wardley describes the start of the rematch as “round 13” but Clarke says while the boxing cliche serves up a nice soundbite, he expects the fight to play out differently.

“This is a new fight, not round 13. I will look at where I went wrong and work on it,” he says.

Both men agree on how important a win is to their respective world-title aspirations.

With the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury arguably at the backend of their careers, there is a gap in the market for a fighter to join Daniel Dubois in Britain’s next crop of heavyweight superstars.

“I’m a couple of steps or fights away, but if I carry on picking up the victories, why can’t it be me against the likes of Daniel Dubois at Wembley for a world title?” Clarke asks.

Wardley is less convinced on his rival’s chances of reaching world-title contention anytime soon.

“I’ve proved myself at British and Commonwealth level but I’d say my boat is a little ahead of Frazer’s,” he says.

“He’s probably six or seven fights away from fighting for a world title and I’m two or three.”

Should a British title fight be in Saudi?

For all the hype, however, critics argue that a British title fight should not be contested overseas.

Wardley was hoping to headline at Portman Road stadium, home of his beloved Ipswich Town Football Club. Instead, the rematch will take place almost 4,000 miles away at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena.

“It was a timing issue. We’re in the middle of the football season so we can’t be tearing up the pitch and covering it with a canvas,” Wardley explains.

Clarke welcomes the lucrative nature of fighting in energy-rich Saudi – which has hosted several marquee heavyweight bouts in the past two years – and the global exposure it will bring.

“I want to make it clear there is nothing I love more than fighting in the UK in front of my home fans, family and people I love,” he says.

“But life is very short and these opportunities don’t come round too often.”