In dealing with the fallout of the British title fight against Fabio Wardley that never was, perspective was key for Frazer Clarke. Having been around the sport for 14 years and counting, there have already been highs and lows and this was no different.
‘I saw people question whether I would be able to come back from this,’ Clarke said. ‘They obviously don’t know me well enough to know what I have been through in my life. This was child’s play.
‘The day it happened, I walked down to Tesco down the road from where I train. I sat outside with a guy who had come out or rehab four hours earlier and he had already relapsed. He was sat there crying. I sat talking to him for an hour and I realised, I haven’t got any problems. This poor guy, he’s dealing with real problems. You have to weigh things up in life.’
Six fights into his professional career, the door was opened for Clarke to challenge for the British title in April with the British Boxing Board of Control ordering champion Fabio Wardley to defend his strap. Minutes before the deadline for purse bids, it emerged Clarke’s promoter, Ben Shalom of BOXXER, had pulled his man out. Eddie Hearn labelled the move ‘a disgrace’.
In the aftermath, tough conversations were had between Clarke, BOXXER and Sky Sports but the Olympic bronze medallist has stressed from day one he was ready to fight.
‘My name was associated with it all. I don’t care what anyone says, the fact that fight didn’t happen wasn’t my fault,’ the 31-year-old said.
‘I wanted that fight and still want that fight and I back myself as much as I did a month ago. Ben took a lot of that blame as did a few other people because people genuinely see I back myself. These are the fights I want to be in.’
Taking time off social media locked away in training camp in Loughborough, Clarke has been able to get back to basics, preparing for what is expected to be the biggest test of his professional career against Mariusz Wach. Friday’s fight at York Hall comes with the unexpected bonus of being the main event following Adam Azim’s withdrawal from the card due to injury.
It will be fight no7 against an experienced former world title challenger who has gone the distance with Dillian Whyte and the great Wladimir Klitschko in his 18-year career. While Wach’s best days are undoubtedly behind him, it is a test that should provide him with much-needed rounds having only heard the final bell once so far.
There was plenty of frustration over the collapse of the Wardley fight with Clarke admitting the saga ‘broke him’. But he has been consistently quick to stress the realities of the path ahead of him.
‘I have shown improvements but I hold my hands up, I am nowhere near the finished article and I still have a lot to learn. I often hear or read, “If he’s not ready at 31 he’s never going to be ready”. That is just the talk of people that aren’t boxing people. You never stop learning in this game.’
By comparison, Clarke’s old friend and training partner Anthony Joshua did not fight for the British title until his 15th fight with his first outing against a former world title challenger coming in fight no7 against Matt Skelton before fighting Kevin Johnson in his 13th test.
More recently, Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois fought their first former world title challengers in their eighth and ninth fighters respectively before battling it out for the British title in 2020.
Clarke believes his Olympic pedigree means there has been little patience as far as his progress has been concerned.
‘People treat boxing like WWE. We all have an online presence and say things that we know might get a bit of attention but when you strip it all back and get back to the gym, there are still people like myself who need experience.
‘I know I have a decent profile, people know who I am and that comes with its own problems. It doesn’t take away from the fact I have had six fights. People love to see a sprint. But these people need to realise this is my livelihood as well. This is how I make my living.
‘This is what puts food on the table. Within seven days after my fights I have had money in my bank every time. As a father, as a partner, if I am doing that, I am doing my job. I understand it’s an entertainment business but the entertainment doesn’t come before doing your job properly.’
Behind the scenes, there is hope the Wardley fight can be revived, perhaps later this year. Winning the British belt before he embarks on world title challenges remains the goal for Clarke, despite all the noise.
‘It is a great marker for where you are in your career,’ he said. ‘It holds a lot of tradition and I think tradition is something that goes missing from the world now, it is missing from the sport. There are so many Mickey Mouse belts out there, they might help your position in the rankings but is it steeped in any history?
‘I want to be able to look back one day and know I achieved that. I did it as an amateur and I want to do it as a pro. We will speak to management, speak to the promoters but it is something dear to my heart. You need to be the king of your country first. You can only go onwards from there.’
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