British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Fabio Wardley, is developing quite the collection of hardware.
When the end of year awards are handed out, Wardley, 18-0-1 (17 KOs), may need to clear yet more space in his trophy cabinet.
In February, he and Frazer Clarke put themselves in contention for Fight of the Year honors after combining for 12 of the most grueling heavyweight rounds you will see. On Saturday night, Wardley put himself in line for Knockout of the Year honors when he brought the rivalry to a brutal finish by taking out Clarke in the first round of their eagerly awaited rematch.
Many assumed that Clarke’s long, distinguished amateur career would make him the more adaptable of the two and the fighter more suited to putting into the practice the lessons learned in the first drawn fight.
It wasn’t to be. Clarke looked confident and shaped up well in the very early stages of the fight but while Wardley, his usual explosive and aggressive self, importantly, he was far more clinical this time around.
“It’s always sweet. You never wanna do overtime in that ring,” he told Queensberry. “After the last 12 rounds we shared together, I know how I felt the next day, so I wasn’t really too keen to go through all that again but if I ever have to go to those deep places and dig from the well, we all know I’ve got it in me.
“I said in the buildup that I watched the fight back and knew the errors I’d made and how we could put it together a lot sweeter and I did that on the night.”
Whether it is the memory of Trevor Berbick stumbling around the ring after absorbing a Mike Tyson left hook or Lennox Lewis depositing Hasim Rahman on the canvas with his head perfectly positioned on Don King’s crown logo, heavyweight knockouts tend to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
The unsettling sight of a clearly physically damaged Clarke clinging to the ropes after absorbing the fight-ending right hand will linger in the mind for a long time.
Wardley is quickly developing a reputation as a natural and ruthless finisher.
The 29-year-old doesn’t think that his heavyweight rivals will have learned anything particularly new from watching his stoppage of Clarke but hopes that the graphic knockout lodges itself into their minds.
“My record speaks for itself. Every opponent I’ve faced has touched the canvas so that’s a no,” he said.
“Any fighter who wants to step between the ropes with me is gonna have to take that into account. At any minute, I can switch you out. We do know that, as heavyweights, we are big boys, and we can all do it to each other.
“I don’t think that’s nothing too new but all you know from me is I’m dangerous from minute one until the last minute in the ring.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79
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