Fabio Wardley sends message to Frazer Clarke after leaving dent in his face with brutal knockout

Frazer Clarke was sent to hospital in Riyadh with a suspected broken cheekbone after being brutally stopped in the first round by Fabio Wardley on Saturday night

Fabio Wardley sent his best wishes to Frazer Clarke after hospitalising him with a brutal first-round knockout.

Wardley flattened his opponent with a stunning right hand in the opening round in Riyadh to take the victory following an epic 12-round first bout earlier in the year. The winning blow left Olympic bronze medalist Clarke with a nasty-looking injury on the side of his face.

Promoter Frank Warren suggested that Clarke had a fractured cheekbone and he was immediately taken to hospital to get checked out. Mirror Sport has contacted Clarke’s promoters to ask for an update on his condition and Wardley showed his concern in a post-fight interview.

“I always take a prayer before my fight and I always ask for me and my opponent to walk and leave healthy,” he told Sky Sports. “I know it’s a hurt business and this is our job at the end of the day but I want people – whoever I’m in with – to go back to their family healthy and safe, so I wish him all the best, I hope he’s well.

“I hope I can speak to him after and just give him a hug and say thank you. Because those 12 rounds we shared before were something special to us and to boxing. So again, I just hope he’s healthy and OK.”

Speaking about the nature of Clarke’s loss, pundit Johnny Nelson said: "He'll be absolutely devastated and those words that ring out, you're representing all the amateurs coming through the system, that's the pressure he put on him.

"But also the manner of defeat. Regardless of what happens, he needs to make sure he gets a scan, get checked over thoroughly. I've never seen a knockout like that, it was scary, it was worrying. It's the greatest sport in the world, but at the same time to see a knockout like that it brings everything back to earth."

Clarke, 33, was beaten in less than three minutes as Wardley’s powerful right hand did the damage. He needed referee Victor Loughlin to step in and stop the fight after being left shaken in the corner of the ring.

"I'm happy for Fabio, but at the same time I'm so worried for Frazer," Anthony Yarde said. "Anyone in boxing knows that Frazer is one of the nicest people in boxing so that's why I was worried.

"Seeing him look like that was worrying. It's the hurt sport, but seeing that don't make me feel good. Well done to Fabio. He's got that dog in him. The way he swings and he's very skilful as well."