The clash between British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley 17-0 (16) and challenger Frazer Clarke 8-0 (6) has all the hallmarks of a classic domestic showdown.
Retired former WBO cruiserweight champion turned pundit Johnny Nelson believes the bout at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday night could be a fight that we talk about through the ages.
“Fabio Wardley versus Frazer Clarke is a great domestic fight. We haven’t seen anything like this for quite a while,” Nelson wrote for Sky Sports.
“I’m talking Frank Bruno-Lennox Lewis, I’m talking Gary Mason-Lennox [Lewis].
“We’ve not had such an even fight for a British heavyweight title for quite a while. I love this fight. I think it’s a great fight. I think it’s a tough fight for both fighters, a lot at stake for both fighters.
“The loser has to go back and lick his wounds. Now there’s two scenarios. Fabio Wardley as far as he’s concerned he’s just a white collar boxer that turned pro. For him I think a loss, even though it will hurt his professional pride, it’ll hurt him less than it would Frazer Clarke.
“Because Frazer Clarke has represented his country numerous times as an amateur. He’s sparred with all these top fighters that are world title contenders, all these people Frazer’s been in the ring with, he’s rubbed shoulders with, he’s worked out with. The only thing is it hasn’t been in public.
“I would go with Frazer to win this fight. I think Frazer Clarke has got a lot more technical artillery, insight and understanding. The only thing Frazer’s lacking in this fight is professional experience. Everything else he’s got.
“Professional experience – I’m talking the rounds under his belt. I’m talking this kind of stage where now people are split, people are making a decision on who they think is going to win and lose. It’s part of the professional game. You’ve got to be able to take the criticism as much as you take the praise.
“This is not just the physical thing, it’s the mental thing for Frazer. On his shoulders there’s more to lose in regards to credibility. There’s more to lose on his shoulders.
“I always say one loss doesn’t mean anything, in professional fights where people put so much on it. But for Frazer I think it would hurt him so much, I think that’s the problem. I think career-wise as long as he can get on with it and work with the same intensity, he can put his career back on track if he loses.
“But I think that personally it will hurt him so bad that he’d struggle to really get over it, for a few years as a professional until he gets another decent scalp.”
Perhaps Nelson’s prediction is influenced by his own experiences early on in his career.
“I had 13 amateur fights. I only won three. But when I turned pro I boxed national champions and beat them. I boxed guys that had represented their country and beat them,” Nelson said.
“When you beat guys who have done that, you believe in yourself a hell of a lot more and that’s where Fabio’s at. He’s beaten people that in reality he should never have beaten, if you’re going by the form book. And that’s why his confidence is sky high.”
