Fabio Wardley: Frazer Clarke bout 'inevitable', says British heavyweight champ

Fabio Wardley is unbeaten in 15 fights as a professional

British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley believes a future showdown with Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke will happen sooner or later.

Wardley competes in his first fight of the year against American Michael Polite-Coffie on Saturday's Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin undercard.

He wants to defend his title and sees Clarke as a potential challenger.

"Frazer is obviously quite an inevitable name and we are going to clash horns at some point," he said.

"He seems like one of the prime candidates and has said numerous times he wants to have a go for the British belt. It seems like that would go together pretty well."

Clarke has had only six pro contests and beat Bogdan Dinu last weekend when the Romanian retired on his stool after two rounds with a suspected broken rib.

Frazer Clarke has won five of his six bouts inside the distance

Wardley's plan for the year was to defend the British title - which he won last November by stopping Nathan Gorman in the third round - three times.

"The first hurdle of that, the first fight we wanted to put together for the year, we haven't been able to find anyone who is ready and willing to have a go for the British belt," the 28-year-old from Suffolk said.

"So, we've had to pause that for half a second but I want to stay busy, keep active and push again for it later in the year.

"Everyone loves a good tear-up for the British belt, especially at heavyweight so there will always be appealing fights."

Wardley's promotional team turned to Polite-Coffie for his first fight of 2023 and he said being chief support for Joshua's comeback was a "privilege".

He added: "It is probably one of the best positions you can be in for an up-and-coming boxer like myself, to be on the undercard of an AJ or Dillian [Whyte], or a Tyson Fury because being one under those top guys means you are getting the most exposure and views on you."