Nine months since Frazer Clarke famously turned down the chance to face Fabio Wardley, it seems that the two heavyweight rivals are finally about to meet in the ring, but following the fight announcement, the bookies have picked a clear favourite, even if the fans can’t.
Following on from his bronze medal at the Toyko 2020 Olympics, ‘Big Fraze’ burst onto the scene with high expectations and a requirement to be moved quickly through the ranks, debuting as a professional aged 30-years-old.
Just over a year after his debut on the Amir Khan vs. Kell Brook undercard, Clarke found himself called to challenge Fabio Wardley for the British title, but was advised by his promoter to decline the opportunity due to a lack of experience, and obliged.
Clarke was heavily criticised by both Wardley and the British fans for his withdrawal, but he banked ten rounds against Mariusz Wach and stopped David Allen as he increased his level of opposition to prepare him for a shot on the Lonsdale belt, improving to 8-0.
Meanwhile, Wardley extended his unbeaten record to 17-0, with sixteen wins by knockout, fighting on cards headlined by Anthony Joshua and then Tyson Fury during 2023, with a career-best win over David Adeleye earning him a top fifteen ranking.
That win has boosted Wardley’s reputation and profile ten-fold and that has been reflected with the bookmakers, who have priced the Ipswich-born British heavyweight champion at 2/5, whilst Clarke opens at 15/8, but would likely have been a shorter price had it not been for ‘purse-bid gate’, as nicknamed by Sky Sports.
Wardley-Clarke will take place at the O2 Arena on Sunday March 31st, live on Sky Sports, with both the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles on the line.