Frazer Clarke went the distance in his first ten-rounder against a durable but hittable Maurisz Wach.
Wach was coming off a TKO win in Poland just two weeks ago, tipping the scales at a career-heaviest of 292lbs. For this fight, he had shifted a pound.
Frazer Clarke once thought this seventh fight of his fledgling career was to be a British Heavyweight title challenge against Fabio Wardley. Despite being mandatory challenger, his promoter pulled him out of the purse bid.
Clarke’s fight, whomever was occupying the other corner, was always going to be in the shadow of the Wardley drama, and the Olympian – looking impressively lean – had to shoulder that burden through what most agree was no fault of his own.
Still, he dictated the pace from the off, Wach looking a shadow of the man who once took Wladimir Klitschko the distance in an unsuccessful challenge for the unified heavyweight titles – that was eleven years ago.
The action was laboured in the second, the extreme heat of York Hall already seeming to take its toll. The third saw Clarke introduce some good body work, before a messier round four that had plenty of clinching. Clarke would still find a way through on occasion.
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He started the fifth with a statement right hand that pinged the head of Wach back, and continued to really make his mark. He was winning comfortably, so the question became could he be the fifth man to stop ‘The Viking’?
The sixth saw Wach continue forward, landing some but taking many more. He had a little more success in the seventh – a reminder to Clarke that he couldn’t switch off.
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A right hand bounced off the head of Wach in the eighth, but he wasn’t visibly deterred. He scored a combination of his own but let Clarke take over again to end it.
The second last saw a little more urgency from the Brit, but he does get hit and it could pose threats at higher levels. Faster hands impressed, though, and Wach looked bamboozled at points.
That continued into the final round, but stopping the stubborn Polish fighter wasn’t to be. He won unanimously, 100-90. Clarke now has the ten rounder that his promoter wanted – will he push for the British title next?
Post-fight, Clarke said ‘well done’ to his team for forging this path and pushing back the challenge – but said he would face Wardley in the not-so-distant future.
Elsewhere on the card, Caroline Dubois progressed her undefeated campaign to seven from seven with a points win over Yanina Lescano, her power clear once again and future bright as ever.
Viddal Riley dispatched of Anees Taj in the fourth round of their eight-round cruiserweight contest – a rematch following Riley’s previous victory when Taj was judged unable to continue from a nasty cut.
Aaron McKenna moved to 17-0 with a decision win over previously undefeated Uisma Lima. The 100-91, 98-92, 98-93 scorecards saw McKenna win the WBC International Middleweight title.
Isaac Chamberlain returned to winning ways after a loss to now- world champion, Chris Billam Smith, almost a year ago. He beat Dylan Bregeon over eight rounds to set himself up for a British cruiserweight title clash against Mikael Lawal.