1) Bloody brilliant
As if envious of Tim Tszyu’s efforts the night before, Fabio Wardley did his best to produce a similar amount of blood during his headline fight with Frazer Clarke. He bled profusely from a cut on his nose in round two but, like Tszyu, refused to let it get the better of him.
2) Aim higher
Low blows could be a problem for Frazer Clarke. After all, not only did they cause him issues, and a potential disqualification against Dave Allen last year, but they also cost him a point – a crucial one – against Wardley in his big British title fight.
3) That right hand
Of all the punches we witnessed on Sunday, few were more dangerous and potentially devastating than Fabio Wardley’s unique right. Coming at Frazer Clarke from all angles, this right hand would present a real threat to most heavyweights, regardless of their experience and ability.
4) Through the middle
As obvious as it may have seemed, given the positioning of Fabio Wardley’s elbows away from his body, still it was encouraging to see just how often and how well Frazer Clarke used the uppercut on Sunday. A punch never easy to land, particularly for a heavyweight, the ease with which Clarke threw the shot was a testament to his pedigree.
5) Willings and able
Arguably the star of the undercard, Leon Willings recovered from a first-round knockdown to give Ben Whittaker plenty to think about during the eight rounds they shared. He was smart, ambitious, and, at 23, has a lot of potential.
Willings showed no fear in the face of Whittaker (Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer)
6) Class Kongo
Following a long history of back and forth, Chris Kongo silenced Florian Marku once and for all and in the calmest way possible. Sticking to his game plan, he simply outboxed the aggressive but one-paced Albanian over 10 rounds to win a decision.
7) Simpson gets Chelli
While Callum Simpson’s four-round dismissal of Dulla Mbabe won’t be remembered for very long, his next fight, potentially against Zak Chelli, will give us a much better idea of the Barnsley man’s ceiling.
8) Babic bump
In future it might be sensible to have Alen Babic fight closer to the main event and not, as was the case on Sunday, before 6pm. Because on a card starved of stoppages, the prospect of rough and ready heavyweights like Babic and Steve Robinson, his opponent, entering the ring closer to the main event would have been most welcome.
9) Azeez wants more
“We ain’t come to see this,” said Dan Azeez, commentating for Sky Sports on Ben Whittaker’s latest win. “We’ve come to see dancing and humiliation,” he added, proving Whittaker really cannot win.
10) A bit premature
As good a fight as it is, having Adam Azim and Harlem Eubank square off in the ring – accompanied by Barry McGuigan and Chris Eubank, no less – when the fight isn’t even signed felt a little peculiar to say the least.
