Frazer Clarke is itching to fight. That impatience nearly boiled over after weighing in for Saturday’s fight in Bournemouth.
When his opponent, Ariel Esteban Bracamonte drove his head into Clarke’s, the Olympic bronze medallist reacted and shoved him back. It could have been worse, Clarke warned.
Clarke’s pro debut was in February. It lasted only a round and a hand injury has kept him out of action since then. But finally, he feels, he’s going to have a real fight on his hands on Saturday.
“South American isn’t he? They’re as fiery and as game as they come. But that’s what you want. You want opponents that are coming to win. He’s going to come and have a go,” Clarke told Sky Sports.
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“But I’m the superior fighter, I know that. I’m superior in every department. Yeah, the roughhouse tactics, I’ve seen it all before. Remember I know it’s different [from the amateurs] but I’ve been around. I’m a dinosaur, everyone knows that.
“We can all have a push and shove and what not, it means nothing. Tomorrow me and him, a boxing ring, that’s my home, that’s where I do business. So it’s not a problem.”
He maintains he wasn’t surprised at the Argentine trying to rile him. “I’ve seen him at a few of his weigh ins, he’s a fiery character,” Clarke said. “He put his head on mine, no chance, not me, I’m not the one.
“I pushed him and I had to think twice because when his head was on mine I was going to butt him, I don’t have that disrespect. It doesn’t happen.”
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Clarke is an imposing heavyweight, but his opponent Bracamonte is a huge man, over 300lbs, 22st 1lbs to Clarke’s 19st 8lbs. The Argentine lasted eight rounds with touted Australian heavyweight Demsey McKean the last time he boxed in the UK.
“He’s a big man. There’ll be two big men there having a fight, a fair fight, the best man will win,” Clarke said.
“He will be durable. He will be tough, I’m expecting a tough night. Shots coming back, him walking forward. But I can move my feet, I’ll rough him up, I’ll tangle him up and he’ll try and do the same. It’ll be a good fight. It’ll be an entertaining one.
“I’ve had one professional round in the last year. One competitive round of action in the last year. That’s not good enough. It couldn’t be helped but for a man that’s used to fighting 15, 20 times a year against top opponents, I don’t like that. If I get one round tomorrow, fantastic. If I get six, even better.”
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The two fighters continued snarling at one another after their altercation. But Clarke insists he won’t lose his composure on fight night.
“I know I had a few words after,” he said. “Remember this is not my first dance. I’m going to get in there and do what I’ve been taught to do since I was 11-years-old and that’s box. I’m not going to go there charging and looking to take him out.
“I’ll get in there, get behind my jab, the right hand will follow. I won’t stand in front of him and then when he’s inside I’m going to whip some lethal shots underneath and over the top, deal with him how I know. Professional’s the word.
“I will box him. I will box his ears off. I will show pedigree. People think I’m a pundit, people think I’m a talker. I’m a fighter and I’ll show that tomorrow.”
The biggest fight in the history of women’s boxing – Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall – is live on Sky Sports on Saturday, September 10. Be part of history and buy tickets for the London showdown here.