Frazer Clarke will be in action tonight, this as he faces Jeamie TKV in a British heavyweight title fight that will put big-time boxing back on BBC television. But Clarke, who captured an Olympic bronze medal, says he can go on to do what his former two-time rival Fabio Wardley has done, and that’s win a world title. Clarke – who held Wardley to a gruelling, at times brutal draw in their first encounter, but was quite shockingly blasted out in the very first round in the rematch – is now using Wardley as his inspiration.
Clarke has an “if he can do it, why can’t I?” attitude, and he says he can go on to win a heavyweight title the way Wardley did, this by way of his win over Joseph Parker in an interim WBO title fight, with Fabio then being elevated to full champ when Oleksandr Usyk decided to drop the belt.
Clarke, still just 9-1-1(7) and a win removed from his October 2024 jawbreaker of a loss to Wardley, cannot afford any slip-ups tonight, against a motivated TKV, 8-2(5). 34 year old Clarke aims to win in style tonight and then move onto bigger things.
“If Fabio can do it – he has two arms and two legs like me, works hard like me, he’s a fighter like me – why can’t I?” Clarke said when speaking with BBC Sport. “Why can’t everyone else? This is to everyone in the sport. Keep grinding, keep going. If you work hard enough and with a little bit of luck it will come.”
Who knows, down the road, maybe next year some time, Wardley and Clarke could wind up meeting for a third fight, with the WBO title on the line? But Clarke has to win tonight, and then pick up a big win over a top-10 contender if he’s to get a shot. But Clarke is a guy to root for, as is Wardley, and it would be a real story if “Big Fraze” was able to become a world champion the way Wardley has done.
Back to tonight’s fight, one that will hopefully regain some respect and attention for the once so highly thought of British title. Both men have come in at a quite hefty poundage, with Clarke tipping-in at a fraction over 270-pounds, and with 32 year old TKV scaling a career-high 264.9-pounds. Two big men will be in action tonight and fans are hoping to see a good battle.
There seems to be some bad blood between Clarke and TKV, and hopefully both men will fight their hardest and will let their hands go in a few hours’ time.
Clarke is the pick to win, but he might have to survive a scare or two before he gets the mid-rounds stoppage win.