FRAZER CLARKE has 25 stitches in the cuts healing over his eyes and a broad smile across his face. Not yet, but soon, he’ll have a bronze medal around his neck. The big man from Burton has had a good Olympic Games. The cuts came from the headbutts that got Mourad Aliev disqualified in their quarterfinal, his satisfaction from the sterling efforts that led to his semi-final against impressive Uzbek Bakhodir Jalolov.
Clarke lost the first two rounds against the Uzbek in their semi-final, but not before shaking Jalolov and handing him a standing count in the second. A big punch had reopened the cut over his right eye. Their bout had to be stopped and Jalolov is a worthy finalist.
โIโve had seven, eight and 10 [stitches], so thereโs a lot of stitches in my face at the minute,โ he tells Boxing News. โI knew it was bad. If you watch the fight back, you probably wonโt have noticed, a lot of people wonโt but Iโm literally trying to blindside the referee. Iโm an experienced fighter, Iโm trying to get round the referee and use my experience. Because I know if he sees that cut, [itโs over]. I didnโt know the extent of it but I knew it was bad because I could see the blood going onto Jalolovโs shoulder when we were in the clinch. So that only comes from a bad cut. So I was trying to stay on the blindside of him for as long as I could. I think I got an extra minute out of it. Obviously the task in front of me and the man that is Jalolov, youโre going to need more than a minute to try and get rid of him because heโs a good fighter. Itโs one of them things.โ
โ[Jalolov] was winning the fight, Iโm not delusional. Heโs a huge man. I boxed him before. I boxed him when he was a kid, [which Clarke won]. This is six years later and the difference is unbelievable. He was heavy handed and he was long and rangy and he moved well. He made it difficult for me. I couldnโt really get my jab off. I would like to go again because I feel like if I got my tactics right, I could do better. Thatโs just me as a person. Landing that one right hand [in the second round], I was still losing the round. Iโve had a few people saying to me, you should have won the second,โ Frazer said. โIt wasnโt enough to win the round. Iโm just dead honest. He was winning the fight. The third round I felt like I was going to have a right good go. I had nothing to lose, youโre boxing the number one seed, youโre losing, two rounds down, youโve got to go for it. I had a little go, the refereeโs seen me bleeding everywhere and stopped it, thereโs not a lot more I can do is there.โ
He had certainly shown the weight of his own punches in that bout. โIโve got the power. Iโve never doubted it and those that have – theyโve never been in the ring with me. But Iโve definitely got the power, the experience, the skills so Iโm looking forward to the next step. Donโt get me wrong, I know that Iโve almost got to go back to school now, Iโve got to start from scratch. Iโve got to get a team together, learn new skills. Iโve got experience but you have to learn new skills, learn a new way of boxing. I probably should try and find some abs in this body. Itโs going to be difficult considering I never found them yet but apparently if you work hard and stop eating crap, they are in there,โ he laughed. โI can fight thatโs the most important thing.โ
His Olympics is over, heโs fought his last amateur contest but before he returns from Tokyo, heโll roar his last two competing team-mates on in their finals on Saturday and Sunday.
โItโs over. The journeyโs over. A couple of days ago I couldnโt say that you because I was getting teary every time that people mentioned that that was my last amateur bout. It hit me right in the heart and it hurt. Itโs a good feeling,โ he explained. โSo Iโm over the moon. Iโm buzzing. I havenโt got my medal yet, Iโll get it on Sunday but right now Iโm more concerned about Galal [Yafai] being in the final and Lauren [Price]. Iโm over the moon for them two,โ Clarke said.
He took even more satisfaction at seeing Yafai guarantee himself at least a silver than he did at securing his own bronze. โIt was 100% the best moment of my Games,โ Frazer insisted. โThe way I did get my medal, the fight with Aliev, it wasnโt the way I wanted to get it. I canโt celebrate a disqualification. I just couldnโt do it. So it was a strange one. Itโs a great feeling now but Iโm a competitor. I wanted to win that fight the right way. Even though it was out of my hands, Iโm in there to box. Galal winning yesterday meant more to me than that day. Now it wonโt do eventually but at the time it was fantastic.โ
Clarke is the captain of this Tokyo squad, the most successful British Olympic boxing team in a hundred years. He has shown real leadership himself in the process. โThe team have done so well and Iโll have a big smile on my face but at the same time a heavy heart, gutted for Chev [Clarke], Charley [Davison], Caroline [Dubois], Peter [McGrail. Theyโve done fantastic but it just wasnโt to be for them,โ Frazer said. โI had the experience and I feel like people could speak to me. Itโs a skill which Iโve got without actually knowing Iโve got. I donโt try, itโs something that comes naturally to me and if people enjoy it and people are willing to listen to me and let me be a leader, Iโll do that no problem. But itโs natural and, like I say, Iโm surrounded by leaders. I might be the biggest and the loudest but in the background theyโre all helping each other and thatโs the truth.โ
โIโm just enjoying being part of Team GB. Being part of GB Boxing. Iโm a little bit stuck for what I do now. Iโm dragging Tokyo out as much as I can because Iโm going to be lost when I get back. Without being part of this team, Iโm going to be a bit lost,โ he adds. โThe thought of not being part of GB Boxing anymore, it hits me right in the heart, honestly. A third of my life Iโve been through and theyโve seen me through, both my kids have been born and theyโve seen me through that, helped me through the good times, the bad times, people have been there for me. Iโve seen them more than my family. Amazing.โ
But one day, who knows, perhaps after his professional career, he might return as coach or performance director like Rob McCracken is now. โI feel like Iโve got experience and knowledge which I could definitely pass on,โ he suggests. โOne day I reckon Iโll be walking through that gym in Sheffield with a cup of tea and a biscuit a bit like Rob.โ
On Sunday, in the final act of this Olympic tournament, heโll step on to the podium to receive his super-heavyweight bronze medal. โIโve been myself. Iโve enjoyed it. Iโve done it all with a ย smile on my face. Iโll go on that podium like Iโve won the gold medal. Iโll have a bigger smile than anyone. Because Iโm happy person, Iโm healthy, my family have supported me. The thing Iโm most happy about is the team,โ Clarke said. โ[The medal] I think it represents quite a few things. Not giving up and believing in yourself when maybe not so many people did. Definitely, definitely, very proud of it and Iโll continue to be very proud of it. Itโs more what it means to my family. My family are so proud, to see my nan and grandad crying on facetimeโฆ Them moments will be in my heart forever. So it means the world to me.โ