Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke looks to extend his unbeaten record at the expense of Dave Allen in an all-British heavyweight shootout at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, on September 2. The 10-round bout is an undercard attraction ahead of the rematch between Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr.
Clarke (7-0, 5 KOs) is coming off a decision win over former world title challenger Mariusz Wach in June. Despite the pressure of being promoted to the main event at late notice, Clarke went on to post a shutout win over the Polish veteran in his first 10-round contest.
While acknowledging Wach's craftiness and ring savvy, it soon becomes apparent that "Big Fraze" wants to break free of the pack at heavyweight.
"The reality is that fans are getting tired of me fighting people they've never heard of," Clark told The Sporting News. "This is a good fight for me at this point in my career. Dave is a good story, he has a good story to tell, and he has a lot of fans who want to see him do well. But I'm in the habit of winning fights and that's what I'm going to carry on doing.
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"I think [activity will play a factor]. Dave will have had a good camp and he seems to think [his lack of activity] won't be a problem. But the reality is, if you've been in boxing, you learn to understand that what you do regularly is what you are. It's difficult to fight anyone on any given night, but coming off a layoff makes it harder."
Allen (21-5-2, 18 KOs) has averaged one fight per year since suffering a 10th-round stoppage defeat at the hands of David Price in July 2019. Meanwhile, all seven of Clarke's bouts have taken place over an 18-month period, making him one of the most active prospects in British boxing.
A tough and highly-motivated Dave Allen is a challenge @BigFrazeBoxer is taking very seriously 😤#ClarkeAllen | 02.09.23 | AO Arena, Manchester | @SkySportsBoxing pic.twitter.com/w6khL6F0hG
— BOXXER (@boxxer) July 27, 2023
Clarke, 32, is also more than happy to be fast-tracked. The hard-hitting fighter from Burton-on-Trent was all in for a shot at the British title held by the talented Fabio Wardley. However, there was a difference of opinion between Clarke's management 258 — who lobbied the British Boxing Board of Control to make that fight — and promotional outfit BOXXER, who insisted that Clarke be moved from six-round bouts to 10-round bouts before taking part in a championship fight.
"In terms of the team, you have to realise that there's more than just you involved," Clarke said. "The team works as a unit in business, as well as in boxing.
"The [Wardley situation] was a cock-up in every department. It was unprofessional on our side, and we'll learn from it. I'm an eager man and I've set myself huge targets in the game. I did want all those fights and I wanted the Fabio fight. I don't want people thinking that I pulled out, because I was willing to fight, whether I'd had 10-rounders or not."
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Despite being at the embryonic stages of his professional journey, Clarke has been around the top level of the game for years. As a member of Team GB, he spent a significant amount of time with the likes of Carl Froch, Anthony Joshua, Anthony Ogogo, Luke Campbell, and Kal Yafai, among others.
"More than anything, I think I've learned about taking ownership of yourself," said Clarke of his voyage into the paid ranks. "In the amateurs, I had a lot of help from one of the best teams in the world in GB boxing. [As a pro], I had to step up and take ownership of myself because you're the boss and you're the one putting in all the hard work.
"I've learned about the business, about training, about rest and recovery. These are all things I have seen great pros do, but it's one thing seeing it and another thing doing it. I know what it takes to get through a camp. I've got four or five different sparring partners coming in and they've been told to give me hell and take me out because that's what I need. Physically, it's draining, it's hard on the body, and mentally it's exhausting."
When asked about his future plans, Clarke stated that he's eager to get another fight in this year. He's also striving to face the best the division has to offer and lay claim to some hardware.
"First and foremost, I want to beat Dave Allen," offered Clarke. "After that, of course, I want to challenge for titles. A lot of big fights aren't being made in boxing and there are so many great fights to be made domestically. We can set the example, whether that's me and (unbeaten heavyweight) David Adeleye, or me and Fabio."
