FABIO WARDLEY says not only does this Saturday night close his rivalry with Frazer Clarke but it will end his time fighting at domestic level.
The unbeaten 29-year-old will defend his British heavyweight title at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh in a highly anticipated rematch against the 33-year-old challenger.
Seven months ago at the O2 Arena in London the two men served up a modern day classic which went the distance but ended in a split draw giving neither man the result they wanted. Wardley says he will treat the return bout in a similar manner to the first but after this weekend he wants to be in bigger fights with bigger rewards.
“I think it (Saturday night) closes a number of areas,” Clarke told Boxing News.
“Obviously, the Frazer Clarke era, whatever that bit of my life was or bit of my boxing career was – that will be finished after Saturday night. And my British title, British area level fights. I think they’ll be done as well. I can’t see any more contenders that is a right [fight] for me to take at this juncture in my career. I’ve had my good run with it, time to probably let that go.”
Wardley has held the Lonsdale belt for two years and three fights which included wins over Nathan Gorman and David Adeleye. The Ipswich fighter, who is ranked in the top 10 with three governing bodies, told BN what he hopes 2025 will have in store for him.
“Ultimately setting up for a world title or at least a shot at a world title or eliminator or a voluntary shot.
“I’m up there in the mix. We know the big fight that’s happening at the end of the year. So, once that happens and then a few months later when things start to fragment and mandatories start to get called and eliminators everything moves starts to move in all sorts of directions. I want one of those directions to be towards me.”
