Frazer: I will be champion, I promise you
BURTON BOXER WANTS REMATCH AFTER BRUISING SPLIT DRAW
BURTON’S Frazer Clarke has called for a rematch with British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley.
The pair contested a thrilling and bruising split-decision draw in London on Sunday night.
After a gruelling 12-round bout at the O2 Arena, one judge scored the contest 114-113 in favour of Wardley, another made it 115-112 to Clarke and the third called it a 113-113 draw.
Olympic bronze medallist Clarke was knocked down at the end of the fifth round and had a point deducted for a low blow in the seventh, while Wardley appeared to suffer a broken nose which left blood streaming down his face for the majority of the fight.
The result means both men remain undefeated and a rematch will be eagerly anticipated after a gripping contest.
Clarke was wracked with emotion when he spoke to Sky Sports immediately after the fight.
“I wanted the titles,” said Clarke, with tears in his eyes. “I want to be champion.
“It’s going to hurt for a little bit because I’m a winner.
“I’ll be back with a vengeance. I promise you now.
“I’ve not lost, I drew but I’ll be back.”
Asked about a rematch, Clarke said: “I hope so. I’d love a rematch. I’d love to fight Fabio again.
“I know he’s had more fights than me. He’s a tough boy.
“As much as I’m trying to inspire a lot of people I think Fabio will inspire a lot of people because if you’re tough and you’re game, which I always knew, you can do something in boxing. Because he’s got that about him.”
During the fight Clarke was deducted a point for a low blow and he was dropped in the fifth round – moments that ultimately dictated the result.
“I’m not saying I let myself down,” he said. “I’m saying I thought I was better than some of those daft right hands. I thought I was better than moving my feet in some of them situations.
“But listen, I’ll live with it but it’s a difficult one.
“I’ll pick the bones out of that. I’ll be so disciplined in my boxing, a little bit more next time. And I hate saying that because there should be no next time.
“There’s moments in fights where you have to switch it up and be a little bit more vicious. I stood in front of him a couple of times and there were a couple of times where I just needed to change that gear.”
Regarding hitting the canvas, Clarke added: “Everyone at home is thinking I’m done there.
“I’m telling you now, I knew I wasn’t done. I composed myself, tightened up a little bit. Banged a few jabs at him.
“Imagine if he missed by an inch with that shot, I win the fight. “It’s some game. I do love it.” Clarke believes his performance will have changed some misperceptions about him as a professional boxer.
“I wasn’t doing it to prove anything to anyone, I was doing it to win titles,” he said.
“But I hope it proves something to just a few people. Not everyone because everyone’s allowed their opinions, but just a few people who doubted this (pointing to his heart).
“Because let me tell you now, in Clarke from Islington, Jamaica, Burton-on-trent, England, there’s not a bigger one (heart) in the world.
“I feel like a lot of people in the industry had no respect for my name.
“I feel like Frazer Clarke was known as a nice guy for a long time and I am a nice guy but I hope I showed I’m made of the right stuff.
“With a few tweaks and changes I’ll be a champion. I will be a champion. I promise you.”