Frazer Clarke to face Mariusz Wach next but wants to fight Fabio Wardley this year

British heavyweights Frazer Clarke (right) and Fabio Wardley are both unbeaten as professionals

Heavyweight Frazer Clarke "doesn't want politics to get in the way again" and is still targeting a shot at British champion Fabio Wardley this year.

The unbeaten duo were ordered to fight but Clarke's team withdrew on the day of scheduled purse bids last week.

Clarke, 31, will now take on Poland's former world-title challenger Mariusz Wach at London's York Hall on 16 June.

"I'm sure my promoter and Fabio can strike a deal and we can make that fight as big as possible," he said.

Clarke - a bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020 - has won all six fights as a professional.

Wardley is unbeaten in 16 bouts but does not have the same amateur experience, with the 28-year-old turning professional after just four white-collar fights.

The fighters are signed to rival promoters and broadcasters. Clarke is promoted by Boxxer, with his fights broadcasted on Sky Sports, while Ipswich-born Wardley is signed to Matchroom Boxing and his bouts are aired exclusively on DAZN.

The pair were ordered to fight by the British Boxing Board of Control but the two teams could not negotiate a deal.

Clarke and his team faced criticism for pulling out of the purse bids at such late notice, which led to a war of words between promoters Eddie Hearn and Ben Shalom.

Boxxer's Shalom wanted Clarke to have a scheduled 10-round contest before taking on Wardley later this year.

Hearn felt Boxxer were wary of losing the purse bids and their fighter subsequently featuring on a rival promoter's show, at the expense of what is best for Clarke.

"It was upsetting for me at the time because I'm a fighter and I'll always say I'm ready to fight," Clarke told BBC Sport.

"But after speaking to people whose job it is to guide my career, we came to a mutual understanding that we can still do the fight but at the right time for me.

"I thought that time was now but a few people disagreed and I'm not the kind of guy not to listen to experience.

"I've had a lot of ups and downs in my career. This is nothing. I've been through hell. I missed out on two Olympics before and that's real heartbreak.

"Me and Ben sat down and had some great conversations. We ironed out a few creases but you get that in any relationship in boxing. You move forward and that's what we've done."

Wach has won 36 bouts and lost nine in an 18-year-career, although is on a run of four defeats in his past five outings.

The 43-year-old challenged former champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2012 and has also been defeated by Alexander Povetkin and Britons Dillian Whyte and Hughie Fury.

But with six times as many wins as Clarke has had professional fights, the Burton-on-Trent boxer says the durable Wach is a dangerous opponent.

"This is the heavyweight division. These are mature, big men who can still whack at their age," Clarke said.

"We've seen it time and time again that heavyweights go for a long time and the last thing they lose is their power."