Heavyweight Frazer Clarke 8-0-1 (6) is ruing missed opportunities in his split draw with British and Commonwealth champion Fabio Wardley 17-0-1 (16) at the O2 Arena in London, England on Sunday night.
Clarke, 32, had Wardley cut on the bridge of the nose early in the fight, but the 29-year-old champion bit down on the gumshield to deck the challenger in the fifth before Clarke was docked a point for a low blow in the seventh.
The judges couldn’t split them at the end of the seesaw affair, turning in scores of 115-112 for Clarke, 114-113 for Wardley and 113-113 even.
Clarke says he felt like he was on the cusp of a knockout victory a number of times, but couldn’t quite get the job done.
“There were a few times I feel like the fight had definitely gone out of him and I think even the corner, they were considering pulling him out personally,” Clarke said to Sky Sports.
“He’s a warrior, I’ll give him that. Fabio Wardley’s a warrior, he wanted to stay on and fight. If he’s going to go, he’s going to go out on his back.
“A couple of times, a few more shots, if I didn’t fall in, which I did towards the end. I think he would have been out of there.”
While Wardley gets to keep the British and Commonwealth titles with the result, the boxing public is already clamouring for a rematch. Clarke is onboard.
“I’m glad everyone enjoyed the night but for me, it’s about winning the fight. Just taking part but not winning the fight is not good enough for me personally,” he said.
“Really devastated with the decision but I’m in good spirits, I feel like I proved a lot to myself, I proved a lot to other people and I know moving forward from this I’ll be a lot better fighter.
“The ball’s still in his court, he’s still the champion but it’s up to him and his team to make the decision that’s right for him.”
Clarke added that now he knows firsthand what Wardley has to offer, he expects an early finish.
“I could take him out. I know that now. There’s no secret about it, Fabio hits hard, he does, but I definitely wouldn’t say he’s the biggest puncher I’ve been in there with, he’s definitely right up there,” Clarke said.
“Next time I think I’d go for it early on, I really would.”
When asked about a rematch, Wardley was noncommittal.
“It’s an option, isn’t it? The fans are probably going to ask for that. I’m never going to count a draw as a win, but I’ve still got my belts and there’s still a lot of options on the table for me to look around,” Wardley said.
“Whether it be the rematch, whether it be other options, whether it be something else. We’ll take some time and then we’ll reassess.”
