British heavyweight Fabio Wardley secured a stunning first-round knockout victory over Frazer Clarke in Riyadh, leaving Clarke with a shocking dent in his head and retaining his British heavyweight and Commonwealth titles.
The highly anticipated rematch came just months after the two were inseparable in their first meeting in March, but Wardley dominated the fight this time.
Wardley, 29, landed a devastating right-hand punch early in the first round, sending Clarke staggering into the ropes. The referee immediately stopped the fight as Clarke struggled to regain his footing.
Medical professionals rushed to Clarke’s aid, taking him out of the arena for further treatment. It was later revealed that the dent in his head was likely caused by a fractured cheekbone, according to boxing promoter Frank Warren.
Former world champion Andy Lee, speaking on DAZN, said, “Frazer Clarke is being rushed out of the ring here because he still probably doesn’t know where he is. It was such a heavy punch.”
Another former British boxing star, Darren Barker, added, “The ones that hit you on the chin are the ones that knock you out, but those on the temple make your legs go, and you can’t get them back.”
Following his emphatic win, Wardley expressed his delight, stating that he is now setting his sights on a world title. “I said I’ve got power in each hand, and if I hurt someone, then I can get rid of them,” Wardley said in the ring. He credited his improved game plan for the victory and reiterated his ambition to claim a world championship shortly.
Wardley’s victory has earned him praise from many in the boxing community, including former world champion Nicola Adams, who believes Wardley should have one more fight before challenging for a world title. “I want to see him have another [fight] that’s not too far out of his league yet [before a world title fight],” she said.
Ahead of the rematch, Clarke, who writes a column for Metro, was confident in his chances and vowed not to repeat his mistakes in their first encounter.
Despite the first-round defeat, Clarke had been optimistic about his chances leading up to the fight, reflecting on how he had bounced back after a knockdown in their previous about.
In other bouts on the same card, Artur Beterbiev defeated Dmitry Bivol on points to become the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion since 2002, while Australia’s Skye Nicolson beat British star Raven Chapman in their WBC featherweight world title fight.
