A BANK HOLIDAY BLOODBATH
It was a wounding weekend of boxing as both Fabio Wardley and Tim Tszyu lost enough blood to sink a battleship - yet the pair will leave the Easter period in very different spirits.
That is because whilst one sits on his titles, surveying a lucrative next move, the other has been frozen out of the picture by a draining defeat and contractual incompetence.
Let’s start with Wardley, who despite leaving the ring looking like he had completed 12 rounds with an XL Bully, retained both his British and Commonwealth titles.
His war with Frazer Clarke is one that the written word cannot do justice, and if it did, it’d need to be novel length. The pair’s battle was brutal, yet beautiful, and ticked every box in terms of what constitutes an all-time classic.
Round one simmered, before round two boiled into life, and Wardley’s looping combinations caught Clarke. His response? A sweetly timed uppercut that bloodied the champion’s nose.
Clarke was winning the jab battle too, yet everything that landed only spurred Wardley on.
He marched forward, even surrendering whips to the body from Clarke in order to try and land a big right hand. In the fifth, he did exactly that, and Clarke felt canvas for the first time.
It wasn’t just the thumping right hand, but more the ensuing combination which slumped Clarke to the deck.
He rose as the round ended, meaning Wardley’s onslaught would have to wait at least 60 seconds. That onslaught did come, but was diffused by another sharp Clarke uppercut.
It was barbaric action, and both men were having to go to the well and back.
Wardley also had to go to the neutral corner and back, to make a quick count of his plums after a second string of Clarke low blows. Referee Steve Gray deducted Clarke a point.
Wardley then began chopping away at Clarke’s flesh, but was being timed in response by some big cross shots. Those shots only accelerated the blood gushing from Wardley’s nose.
In fact Wardley’s nose was so beaten, Gray had called for a doctor’s inspection. Fortunately for his own safety, said doctor did not try to deny the 14,000 inside the O2 of the remainder of this corker.
As the final rounds closed in, Wardley turned to swinging attacks - the type that could take an arm out of its socket. One of those attacks did nail Clarke heavy, forcing him to clinch.
It was as exhilarating as it was frightening.
Somehow it made the final bell, and somehow after a combined 616 punches, the pair were inseparable. Wardley remained British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion.
Draws can sometimes bring a feeling of emptiness. This to some might have felt no different; 12 months and 12 rounds of bad blood turned bad intentions, and yet still we have no victor.
Yet, after a savage 36 minutes, I think declaring either man a loser would have been harsh.
It is a horrible tag, being the ‘loser’, but one that Tim Tszyu has to hold after a violent brawl with Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas.
The 6’5” 154lber is a nightmare proposition with substantial notice, so to take him on as an 11th-hour replacement just shows the size of the set on former WBO champion Tszyu.
It was a fight that started horrifically too, as Tszyu walked into a clean elbow, opening up a sizable gash on the top of his head. For 10 rounds, he scrambled virtually visionless.
Yet still his mantra was the same - dig in and swing hard. It made for sensational viewing, but it was clear to see that Tszyu had to abandon any plan in place to deal with Fundora’s quirks.
Fundora showed a real boxing brain in managing the flow of the fight.
One judge did give Tszyu the nod, but it just wasn’t enough. Fundora took two close cards, and now joins his sister Gabriela in the very exclusive world champions club.
A remarkable boxing story.
Fundora is now in the crosshairs of both Terence Crawford and Errol Spence, with the latter making his way into the ring at the T-Mobile arena to further highlight his intentions.
As for Tszyu, well he could be frozen out for some time after the late rush to find a replacement opponent led to several contractual agreements being only verbal.
One of those being the rematch clause.
Tszyu did take defeat like a champ, and Fundora seemed happy to return the Australian his belt after bathing in his blood for the mass of the fight. Ultimately, there was that respect.
So don’t count out a rematch just yet.
But also remember that this is boxing, and money talks.
Oscar Bevis
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