Ipswich-born, Town-supporting Fabio Wardley retained his British and Commonwealth heavyweight title belts following a sensational draw with Frazer Clarke at the O2 Arena this evening.
Wearing the ITFC badge on his shorts and gloves, and with Town CEO Mark Ashton in the crowd, Wardley was viewed a 114-113 winner of the 12-round contest by one judge, while another gave it 115-112 to Clarke, who took to the Portman Road pitch in a Norwich City shirt at half-time in the Bristol City match earlier this month as the two promoted the fight, and the third saw it 113-113.
Wardley, 29, had Burton-on-Trent-born Clarke, 32, on the floor towards the end of the fifth round, but the former white collar boxer’s nose bled throughout and by the end his right eye was badly swollen.
It’s expected that the two will meet again following a contest being hailed as a classic.