Tonight in Derby, fight fans who were there or who tuned in for the fight between Jeamie TKV and Frazer Clarke witnessed an absolute slugfest of a heavyweight war, a fight that has to rank as one of the greatest ever to contest the British heavyweight title. A FOTY contender? Most likely. While for damn certain we saw a Round of the Year candidate with tonight’s sizzling, brutal, and ‘Rocky-Like’ round-11.
In the end, after both TKV and Clarke had given their all in exchanging hefty shots all night long, the fight looking as soon as the third or the fourth like one that would never see the final bell, TKV got the 12-round split decision win.
Scores were 115-113, 115-112 for TKV, with the third judge having it 115-112 for Clarke.
The fight, which saw TKV improve to 9-2(5) in winning the vacant British strap, was blood and guts, punch-for-punch, and raw action all the way. And it was fantastic to watch – and a great return for the sport on BBC television. Clarke, a 5-1 betting favourite who was stunned in defeat and is now 9-2-1(7), could have been KO’d or stopped at numerous stages during the slugfest. But so too could TKV have been laid out or stopped.
In short, after the left hooks to the jaw Clarke took, and after the right hands and uppercuts to the head TKV took, it’s a miracle tonight’s fight went the full way. The red-hot action, at times sloppy, with some good amount of holding on display, was full-on mesmerising stuff. Tonight’s fight sure wasn’t pretty, but it was great, great entertainment.
Both men showed so much heart, especially Clarke, who was shaken to his boots plenty of times. TKV, his right eye banged shut, was throwing all he had at his rival in an attempt at getting the KO. TKV, at one point, threw himself through the ropes with his own momentum.
A point was docked from younger man TKV earlier in the fight; this was in the third, when he was penalised for a low blow. At the time, the ref’s decision looked to be one that would prove crucial. But TKV would not be denied tonight, and he bit down on his gumshield and, missing swings for the fences aside, the underdog managed to nail former Olympian Clarke to the point where he had his legs looking like jelly far more than once.
Again, round 11 was special, the two juggernauts seeming to make a pact in the middle of the ring to finally end the fight, or try to – one way or the other. TKV got the best of it, and Clarke was left looking like he didn’t know where he was here in the 11th, such was the effect of the meaty head shots he somehow managed to soak up.
It was a fight on the cobbles now, and nobody watching could have had any real idea who was winning or who would eventually get the win.
A rematch is already being spoken about, so terrific was tonight’s unexpected War of the Year contender. And for sure, we’d all love to see a part-2 to what went down this evening.