British and Commonwealth champion heavyweight Fabio Wardley 17-0 (16) is looking to keep his knockout streak alive when depends his belts against Frazer Clarke 8-0 (6) at the O2 Arena in London, England on March 31.
The 29-year-old Wardley has not been taken the distance since his four-round pro debut seven years ago. His longest fight was a seventh-round knockout of previously undefeated David Adeleye 12-1 (11) in October.
“My record speaks for itself. I’m always looking for the knockout, for an early night. I’m not trying to stay in there too long and take too much damage, so the sooner it gets done, the better for me,” Wardley said to Sky Sports.
“But that’s always the objective. It’s to knock my opponent out, make the fight entertaining, and get my hand raised.
“I always visualise, but it’s never a one-step plan. You know in boxing it never goes one way. There’s a bunch of different ways it can go, and I’m planning for all eventualities.
“I’m looking at it if it goes into the later rounds, if it goes early. If I have to be switched on early or if something goes wrong like I get cut. Things like that.
“You’ve got to be ready and mentally prepared for all these different avenues, and I believe all of my career fights to date have built me to this moment and put me in a place where I’m comfortable whatever goes on in there.”
Wardley and Clarke have has very different careers to get to where they are at. Clarke won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics while Wardley cut his teeth competing in white collar boxing.
Wardley says Clarke is wasting his time trying to play mind games with him.
“Under his skin and getting in his head and stuff, I don’t really care for it. It doesn’t matter to me. For me, I’m doing it for the fun of it,” he said.
“I enjoy the little back-and-forth and the poking, and the build-up. The fight before the fight, almost. Seeing how mentally strong you are and if can hold out through some of the back-and-forth that goes on.
“I’m just trying to have some fun with it.
“It’s always just another fight, but it will be my toughest test I think.
“I ultimately believe that I’m ahead of him, I’m better than him and I beat him on the night.”
At the kick-off press confernece last month, Wardley said all the pressure is on Clarke.
“Ring IQ is one of them, but [it’s also about] how strong are you, how fast are you, how much do you want it?” Wardley said of his opponent.
“On paper, like he said there, I’m just the hardest bloke in town who knocked out a few pub fighters.
“I’ve winged my way to winning a British title and I’m top of the stage, somehow. So all the pressure is on him.
“He’s the Olympic bronze medallist. He’s the guy with the amateur pedigree that should beat me.
“So when it comes that he doesn’t, where does that leave him?”
