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They came from different boxing worlds and fought in heavyweight battles over the years to a bloody stalemate.
Anyone who watched Fabio Wardley v Fraser Clarke will never forget the hellish 12 rounds they went through at the O2 on Sunday night. Wardley and Clark will live with that memory for the rest of their lives. The rest just talk about being there or seeing a show. Some people may lie.
When the final bell rang, Clark sat exhausted on the bottom rope and Wardley collapsed into the arms of his handler as the crowd of 12,000 gave him a standing ovation. It wasn't a good scrap, a fierce battle, or even a war. It wasn't that simple. It was much more than that, a classic heavyweight fight that rivaled any weight bout for the coveted Lonsdale belt.
There was a moment of silence in the ring as MC Big Mo took the microphone and read out the results. Referee Steve Gray stood between the two exhausted boxers, his white shirt pink with blood. Wardley's nose had been cut open early in the fight. Each of them was on the verge of not being able to raise their hands as high as they could.
The first score reading was 114-113 for Wardley and the second was 115-112 for Clark. In the ring, fighters and many of their handlers began talking, shaking their heads and looking to those at ringside for some kind of help or assurance.
There was some real drama in the packed ring, and the third goal ended the night and the wait. It was a 113-113 tie, and the match was a split draw, meaning that as champion Wardley retained the British heavyweight title. It was brutally clear that each thought they had done enough, suffered enough, survived enough and had won. The arguments are not empty and both have valid points. The fight was so intense that it was nearly impossible to separate the men at the final bell of each round.
Blood splatters on referee Steve Gray's white shirt
(Getty)
Wardley fought four times on the white-collar circuit, often a notorious mix of true novices and certified hard men, while Clark was a leading contender on the international amateur boxing circuit for over a decade. Sometimes their previous training showed. Clark often boxed like a dream, and Wardley often threw punches from the hip when stunned. It was fascinating to watch them adapt, recover from the heavy bullets, and engage in often breathtaking interactions.
In the third inning, Wardley's nose wound began to open, Clark was dropped hard near the end of the fifth, and the pivotal moment of the match occurred in the seventh inning when the referee deducted a point from Clark for a low blow. Clark was winning the round and the punches were low but certainly not evil. Clark ignored it. Wardley got an extra point, which meant drawing a card, which meant the title. Every conflict is a momentary trigger, and small events can have a big impact. Clark had been warned for a low blow in that round, but the second shot led to a warning. His shot wasn't intentional and damaging, but it was low.
Wardley received a cut on his nose in the fight with Clark.
(John Walton/PA Wire)
They swapped each round, leaving the other covered in blood and sweat when the bell rang. There were a number of moments towards the end of the fight when Wardley was injured and it looked like it was over before punches came from somewhere. Clark tried to stay in shape by boxing in the final, desperate rounds, but the pair fought 12 grueling rounds for the first time, putting both men in uncharted and dangerous territory. They fought on instinct and each of the last two rounds were heroic. It was expected that they would completely collapse in the end.
Some people in the game argue that Henry Cooper vs. Joe Bugner would have been better, that Lennox Lewis would have KO'd one of them, or that Anthony Joshua would have defeated the pair. There may be some, but that's beside the point. They were not fighting for convenient comparisons, but for pride and that ancient Lonsdale belt. By the way, all bets are off on the 12 round slugfest.
There was a long discussion on the late night train before the match ended, but there was no robbery in the ring, no score that needed investigating, and instead of looking for negatives, this match was an act. You just have to admire its purity and scope. Of the sacrifices both Wardley and Clark made. Rest, recover, and sign up for a rematch. Thank you, everyone.
