Joshua vs Franklin LIVE: Latest fight updates

Whyte: “Clarke, he has the amateur pedigree. We want to build Fabio up. Frazer has the amateur experience, Fabio has the professional experience.

“Coffie showed him different things. He’s a way heavier puncher than Clarke.”

Wardley is asked about potential fights with Frazer Clarke, David Adeleye and Solomon Dacres:

“I want to win the belt outright, do it in style, against good opponents, good fights like Nathan Gorman. Competitive, the British title holds prestige. You can only do it justice in the right fights. I welcome all comers.”

Wardley on whether it was an early stoppage:

“Slightly. He’s experienced, tricky, slippery. He was half-there, 30 seconds left, I would have finished him off.

“Either way, the job’s done. He’s a tricky operator, he can switch stances, high guard, there was a lot to think about.

“I found my spots. I could have closed the show. A win’s a win.”

Tony Bellew and Dillian Whyte disagree with that stoppage!

Bellew: “[Referee] Howard Foster has stolen Fabio Wardley’s thunder. That was a really poor stoppage from Howard Foster. Coffie has his wits about him, maybe he should have thrown some punches back…”

Whyte: “I think it was early, Fabio could have sent a message. The referee has a job to do, but sometimes they’re edgy and nervous. They should let the fight go five to 10 more seconds. [Coffie] is slick, they ride a lot of shots.”

The O2 Arena seems about 75 percent full as it stands.

Wardley lands a cross to the body. Coffie’s corner are calling on him to breathe…

He eats a trio of right hooks to the head, though, while he’s backed up against the ropes!

Wardley pours on more punches, and they turn into an onslaught! Coffie isn’t defending himself especially intelligently, and the referee waves off the fight!

As with the last round, Wardley is the first off his stool and in the centre of the ring. He looks fresher than Coffie.

And Wardley starts brightly, burying hooks into the body of Coffie, who fires back with hooks to the head! One appears to stun Wardley somewhat, and some crowd members express a bit of concern!

Warley ties up Coffie, though, buying himself time before separating. He catches Coffie on the end of a big right hand, as the American circles away.

The pair trade jabs now. A left hook gets through for Coffie, then a stinging jab. Sweat is dripping off the American, but he comes forward and tags Wardley with hooks to the ribs.

Wardley fights behind the jab early in Round 2. He slips a jab from Coffie, then jabs to the body himself.

“Fabio, knock his f***ing head off, son!” comes a cry from the crowd, but the Briton eats a jab instead.

Forward comes Wardley, and the heavyweights trade harsh shots against the ropes.

Wardley tries a couple of hooks to the body, but he overshoots on both occasions as Coffie turns, and the punches hit the American’s back. He’ll still feel some effects, though.

Coffie stands southpaw; Wardley orthodox. Wardley has a glittering ‘Ipswich Town FC’ message on his shorts.

Wardley belts Coffie with a massive overhand right almost at once! Coffie stays calm but is backed up to the ropes.

Now Coffie goes orthodox and catches Wardley on the very end of a jab.

A slower spell ensues, with a few fans becoming restless before starting to sing, “Oh, Fabio Wardley!”

Coffie with another jab. Wardley feints repeatedly but is grazed by an overhand right.

Clubbing right hook to the body by Wardley, who then slips an overhand right from Coffie.

Great reaction for Wardley, who previously held the English title, now holds the British belt, and is eyeing the Continental strap here.