Fabio Wardley has warned Frazer Clarke that he is not yet ready to challenge him at championship level.
Clarke takes on British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Wardley on Sunday March 31 at the O2 Arena in London, live on Sky Sports.
Their rivalry intensified last year after Clarke did not participate in a mandated purse bid for a 2023 British title fight with Wardley.
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Frazer Clarke and David Allen get into a heated exchange after their fight in Manchester.
Clarke would get further professional experience against Mariusz Wach and David Allen instead and the fight with Wardley is now set.
But when Wardley faced off with Clarke, before the Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez fight last weekend, he told him: “It’s still too soon for you. You still haven’t done enough yet.”
Wardley told Sky Sports News: “There’s still some question marks there.”
“He has a strong pedigree in amateur boxing that is not to be taken lightly at all. But the pro game is very different and the fights in the pro game are very different as well.
“He hasn’t shown anything of any worth really in the pro game as of yet – not that I’ve seen, and not that the boxing public has seen.”
Wardley is convinced that the purse bid situation demonstrated a lack of confidence in his challenger.
“His team, or whoever around him agreed, because they didn’t let him fight me. So I must have been right somewhere. And I still don’t feel that the fights he’s had since are of any worth of any real substance to put him in a position where he feels like he should be ready to fight me now. But if he does think that, then we’ll see,” the champion said.
“He knows what happened before with him pulling out of the fight has really affected his reputation. He’s got a lot behind him in terms of aggravation towards me and wanting to set that right. So I welcome it.
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Jeamie TKV calls out Frazer Clarke after his win over David Allen. Mikaela Mayer and Natasha Jonas question if Allen was making the most of the low blows in the fight.
“He’s game. He wants to have a go.”
But Clarke countered: “I was pulled out of the purse bid situation. What Fabio didn’t want to tell no one is he was offered the fight a couple of days after without a purse bid – but he fails to mention that.
“It didn’t happen then but thankfully we’re here now. We got it over the line. You’ve got two hungry people who are just going to enjoy having a good fight.”
He added: “There’s a few people doubting me and that really spurs me on. I’m one of them people I get driven by doubt and the more people doubt me the more I feel I have to prove people wrong.
“My one objective is to get in there and beat Fabio Wardley.”
Wardley did not acquire any experience in amateur boxing whereas Clarke, an Olympic bronze medallist, has that in abundance.
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Fabio Wardley admits he regrets the scuffle that took place with David Adeleye at a press conference.
“I’ve done it at small leisure centres, I’ve done it at the Olympic Games, I’ve done it everywhere in between, all over the world. I love it. It’s my passion,” Clarke told Sky Sports News.
“I worked very hard to represent my country, which took me all over the world in boxing. I’ve had some amazing experiences, hard experiences, I’ve won, I’ve lost, and it moulds you into the person that you want to become. That’s who I am now. I’m hardened and I’m ready.
“I’m still waiting for my best performance but I feel this will be the one. I feel better than ever mentally, physically and I think this is my statement moment. The moment I’ve waited for for a long time.
“Since I was a kid I’ve dreamed of winning this British title and it’s coming back to Burton.”