Frazer Clarke vs Jeamie TKV — Boxing Returns To BBC Tonight!

It feels mad to even say it out loud, but Saturday night finally brings pro boxing back to BBC  for the first time in two decades. You can already feel the old heads grinning about it. Frazer Clarke and Jeamie TKV carrying the heavyweight banner on BBC Two like it’s 2005 again… you’ve got to love it.

The whole thing only came together after TKV’s training injury pushed the original date back, but here we are. Derby’s Vaillant Live Arena, Saturday 29 November, the British heavyweight title on the line. A proper historic strap too, the one once held by Henry Cooper, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua. Clarke, the Tokyo bronze lad. TKV, the big unit who’s been swinging between promise and chaos.

Why the BBC Move Actually Means Something

It’s been radio and regional streaming bits here and there, but nothing like this on BBC One or Two for years. The last proper pro boxing night on the BBC was Clinton Woods versus Rico Hoye back in 2005. A lifetime ago.

Boxxer, Ben Shalom’s lot, are the ones who dragged this into reality. Shalom’s always banging on about “bringing inclusivity, innovation and entertainment”. Fair play, this is exactly the kind of move he’d try. Boxing on free TV again. Families watching. Casuals stumbling back in. Old-school vibe without paying a penny.

Clarke vs TKV: Who They Really Are

Clarke’s been carrying that “Big Fraze” pressure since the Olympics. Commonwealth gold. Amateur pedigree for days. Turned pro in 2022- He’s calm this week, focused, steady.

TKV turned pro the same year. Eight wins, two losses. Strong as a house, bit unpredictable. His British title shot vs David Adeleye earlier this year went sideways and ended in controversy. This is his clean slate.

Co-main is Francesca Hennessy versus Fabiana Bytyqi over ten. Hennessy’s only got one stoppage, but when she spoke to BBC’s Woman’s Hour, she wasn’t sugarcoating anything.
“I’m not thinking she’s a walk in the park,” she said.
“I truly believe I’m gonna put on my best performance and a lot of people are gonna be shocked.”
Bytyqi’s never been stopped in 26 fights, so that’s a proper test.

Undercard’s tidy: Jack Massey versus Ivan Gabriel, Bobby Dalton versus Joel Kudoa for the English welter strap, Bradley Goldsmith versus Jordan Dujon.

How to Watch Clarke vs TKV on the BBC

Here’s the bit everyone actually needs:

Live on: BBC iPlayer, BBC Two, BBC Sport app, BBC Sport website
Radio: BBC Radio Derby, BBC Sounds
Venue: Vaillant Live Arena, Derby
Date: Saturday 29 November

Start times:

• 18:00 GMT: Live on BBC iPlayer

• 20:00 GMT: Switch to BBC Two for the main broadcast

• 21:00 GMT: Clarke versus TKV ringwalks (approx.)

From 18:00 on BBC iPlayer

• Bobby Dalton (146.4 lb) vs Joel Kodua (146.7 lb)
• Jack Massey (209.9 lb) vs Ivan Gabriel Garcia (209.0 lb)
• Bradley Goldsmith (162.1 lb) vs Jordan Dujon (164.9 lb)

From 20:00 on BBC Two

• Fazer Clarke (270.2 lb) vs Jeamie TKV (264.9 lb)
• Francesca Hennessy (117.8 lb) vs Fabiana Bytyqi (117.4 lb)