Frank Warren has revealed that Frazer Clarke suffered a broken cheekbone in his loss to Fabio Wardley.

Wardley attacked Clarke a stunning first round knockout in Saturday’s rematch in Riyad, seven months after the two players drew at the O2 Arena.

Wardley caught Burton with a powerful right hand and after returning fire, the British and Commonwealth champion unloaded a volley of punches that knocked the 33-year-old to the floor.

The referee wasted no time in waving his hand to end the fight, and concerns for Clarke’s health began after he was seen being given oxygen in his corner and suffering a dent in the side of his head.

Warren, who promotes Wardley, said he believed Clarke suffered a cheekbone injury after concerns intensified after photos of the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist with a dent on the side of his head surfaced online.

Wardley sent his compatriot a heartfelt message, wishing him a speedy recovery from his injury.

“Listen, I always say a prayer before a fight,” the 29-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.

“I always ask me and my opponent to come out fit.

“I know it’s a damaged cause and ultimately it’s our job, but I want whoever I’m with to return to their family fit and protected.

“That’s why I wish him all the best.

I hope he’s doing well.

I hope I can talk to him later, hug him and just thank him, because those 12 rounds we had earlier were something special for us and for boxing.

“So I hope he’s fit and OK.”

It is unclear whether Clarke was sent to hospital, and proboxing-fans.com has reached out to a member of his team for comment.

🥊 @davidcoldwell proposed a fight between @FabioWardley & @joeboxerparker 🔥

What a fight that would be 👊#WardleyClarke2 pic.twitter.com/FxJ3VLHEcz

— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) October 12, 2024

Ben Whittaker had a freak incident in the fifth round of his fight with Liam Cameron in Saudi Arabia. The youthful Briton, who gained a reputation for flamboyant antics, left the ring in a wheelchair after both fighters tumbled dramatically across the ropes.

Whittaker was the favorite for the fight, which took place in Saudi Arabia ahead of the highly anticipated clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. However, a strange incident in the fifth round caused the fight to be stopped in an unusual way.

Both fighters seemed about to connect in the clinch, but ended up flying over the top rope and crashing on the edge of the canvas outside the ring. Cameron was able to get back to his feet, but Whittaker remained on the ground and was clearly in some discomfort.

The 27-year-old required treatment for an apparent ankle injury and was left on his back for several minutes. He was finally helped back to the corner and the referee stopped the fight after a moment’s consideration.

Instead of being declared a no contest, the matter went on the judges’ scorecards and the result was reported as a technical draw. Cameron was furious with the result and waved his arms in frustration, clearly feeling that he should have won the fight.

Meanwhile, Whittaker was wheeled out of the arena in a wheelchair with his left ankle extended. He won the first round, but it was a close fight for the remaining four rounds, with Cameron more than holding his own against the former Olympic medalist.

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“AJ” fell four times during the competition at the national stadium before his rival finished the job 59 seconds into the fifth round. This knockout victory meant that Dubois retained the IBF heavyweight title, which he held on an interim basis.

Joshua entered the fight as the favorite, especially since he had a four-fight unbeaten streak after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The Watford-born superstar sent former UFC champion Francis Ngannou to his final fight, restoring his status as one of the most feared heavyweights in the world.

However, the defeat to Dubois leaves the 34-year-old with some decisions to make as he considers his next options. With his client already having a rematch clause, promoter Hearn told DAZN: “Like all these fights, the man in the middle is his excellency, so Frank and I don’t always talk about doing the fight.

“It is His Excellency who is talking to Frank, he is talking to me and of course we are also talking – we are keeping everyone updated,” he continued, explaining that talks are ongoing behind the scenes. So there is a certain period of time during which AJ’s contract in which he must make a decision.

“It’s not over yet, but he’s thinking strenuous, resting his body and wondering what he’ll do. This is still pretty fresh, just three weeks ago [loss against Dubois]. He is devastated by the defeat. Daniel’s had a great time in Brazil as the fresh champion and he fully deserved it.

He added: “So we’ll see, I think that’s the right answer. This is an crucial decision for Anthony, the Fury-Usyk fight is approaching. There are options for him but I don’t think there is a right or wrong decision, honestly we will have to see what happens in the next few weeks.

Hearn, in a less timid response earlier, suggested that Joshua is definitely considering returning to the ring against Dubois in the future. He informed Heavenly sports: “When you start thinking about it, I don’t think you should make a bad decision.

“I know he’s leaning towards a rematch. Because he wants to win the world heavyweight title – instead of fighting [Deontay] Wild [or] I’m waiting for [Tyson] Fury.”

The Matchbox Boxing representative added: “And then the whole next year will be full of excitement, not a fight for the world heavyweight title. If it’s all up to AJ, and it will be eventually, I think it will all work out.” It will be very hard to dissuade him from taking part in the rematch.”