- Dillian Whyte frisked Fabio Wardley before British title clash with Frazer Clarke
- Wardley ultimately defended his titles after back-and-forth was was ruled a draw
Dillian Whyte patted down protege Fabio Wardley prior to his heavyweight title clash with Frazer Clarke.
In a clip that has since gone viral on social media, Whyte can be seen giving his fellow heavyweight a frisk inside the ring as the announcer finalises the pre-fight introductions.
Sharing the clip on X, Queensberry’s Dev Sahni wrote: ‘Dillian Whyte carrying out a random Section 60 Stop and Search on Fabio Wardley before the fight has absolutely ended me.’
Against former Olympian Clarke Wardley faced arguably the toughest test to date of his burgeoning professional career.
A former white collar boxer, Wardley debuted in 2017 with no real amateur experience but has since captured heavyweight titles at English, British, European, and Commonwealth levels.
Dillian Whyte frisked Fabio Wardley prior to his all-British heavyweight clash with Frazer Clarke
The undefeated pair would go on to do battle over twelve rounds at the O2 Arena on Sunday
Wardley retained his British and Commonwealth titles when the fight was ruled a split draw
The 29-year-old but his British and Commonwealth belts on the line on Sunday evening in a clash that promised to ascend the winner to the elite level in the highly-lucrative heavyweight ranks.
Ultimately though, while neither man would emerge victorious at O2 Arena, both would see their stocks rise significantly following a crowd-pleasing clash.
Both fighters had their moments. Clarke managed to find a home for his jab in the early going that saw him take an early lead on the scorecards while Wardley showcased his immense power by putting his opponent to the canvas in round five.
After 36 hard-fought minutes, the three judges at ringside could not agree on a winner with scores of 14-113 (Wardley), 115-112 (Clarke), and 113-113 leading to a split draw.
With both fighters’ undefeated records intact and an instant classic under their respective belts a rematch appears a near-certainty for sometime later this year.