Frazer Clarke has made his way to the ring for his British and Commonwealth heavyweight title fight with Fabio Wardley. It is a repeat of their gripping encounter from March, which ended in a draw. This one might just steal the show.

Our Donald McRae spoke to Clarke in the run-up.

“I wanted to have breakfast with the British title on my lap – and it wasn’t there. People don’t understand my life and the sacrifices I make, the time I can’t spend with my loved ones, my children who I missed taking their first steps or saying their first words because I was away at training camp. People never understand how hard it is to be a boxer.”

I show Clarke a photo of the canvas after his fight with Wardley. It looks like a Jackson Pollock painting with blood instead of paint sprayed and splattered across the canvas. “I saw that photo,” he says, “and it definitely tells a story and shows the reality of our sport.

“I love boxing but it is dangerous and I have a beautiful family that comes first. That photo is a little reminder that you don’t want it to be your blood. But I’m human and I wouldn’t want to cause lasting harm to anyone.”

Wardley admitted that such fights can cost a boxer’s career years. “In some cases, certainly,” Clarke agrees. “You want an exciting fight, but you never want a fight like that.”

Clarke then grins helplessly. “But we are fighters and so in a strange way I enjoyed it. Then you look back and think, ‘Damn!’ Many people ask: ‘How do you do that?’ The honest answer is: I don’t know.”

When the draw was announced, Clarke seemed more disappointed than Wardley. “I knew it was close, but a draw was devastating. Still, Fabio and I had a few words of respect in the locker room. I thanked him for getting the best out of me.

“It was a very emotional evening, but there was a beautiful moment when I walked into the bar of the Intercontinental, at the O₂to a standing ovation from 300 people. Everyone wanted to buy me a drink. People were singing my name. Fabio comes in two minutes later to silence. That spoke volumes.”

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has taken the stage to give away a Mercedes G-Wagon. He presses a big red button and the cameras eventually pan to a woman in a hijab sitting in the north stands. Kool & The Gang’s Celebration blasts from the arena’s sound system as she walks to the floor to receive the keys. It’s definitely better than the T-shirt cannon!

Jai Opetaia has just stopped Britain’s Jack Massey after Masse’s corner threw in the towel in the sixth round. The 29-year-old Sydneysider has successfully defended his IBF cruiserweight title and only one undercard fight remains: Frazer Clarke vs. Fabio Wardley for the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. Then Beterbiev and Bivol will make their entrance.

Preamble

Bryan will be here soon. In the meantime, here’s a look at Friday’s weigh-ins, where Beterbiev (174.9 lbs) and Bivol (174.12 lbs) both came in just under the division limit.