An old-school contest built on setbacks and suspicion

Unbeaten heavyweights Wardley and Clarke fight on Sunday

- ALEX PATTLE

It was almost exactly one year ago that Fabio Wardley was ordered to defend the British heavyweight title against Frazer Clarke. At the time, the fight frankly made too much sense for a business as convoluted as boxing. With match-ups as rational and rousing as this one, discussions come first, then delays. But 12 months on, Wardley and Clarke have arrived at a fight with major ramifications - for the heavyweight division, and their legacies.

This bout, which will headline at London's O2 Arena on Easter Sunday, marks the end of the first phase of each man's professional career. Both boxers will enter the dome by the Thames with a valuable zero on their record; Wardley, at 17-0 (16 knockouts), has the greater experience in the pro ranks, while Clarke (8-0, 6 KOs) is newer to this field but has plenty of amateur pedigree - including a bronze-medal venture at the Tokyo Olympics.

Contrasting routes but common world-title aspirations almost led Wardley and Clarke to one another in 2023, but "Big Fraze"s team removed their fighter from purse bids. Wardley took aim at Clarke over the episode; Clarke took aim at his own aides. Wardley went on to finish David Adeleye and pick up the Commonwealth belt; Clarke went on to beat Mariusz Wach and David Allen. Finally, in February, these rivals shared a ring, facing off at Wembley Arena to confirm their title fight.