In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Frazer Clarke spoke about the injuries he suffered in his defeat to Fabio Wardley. The rematch took place on October 12, 2024, as part of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol card. The event was held at Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Clarke lost by technical knockout in the first round.
Frazer Clarke, a bronze medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now holds a record of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Out of his 8 wins, he has managed to knock out 6 of his opponents. After his defeat to Wardley, Clarke underwent surgery for a fractured jaw. This injury was caused by a punch he received during the first round of the fight.
During the interview, the Sky Sports host began by thanking Clarke for his time, especially during his recovery. Clarke responded: “I’m good. Recovering well and just glad to be here speaking to you guys. It’s been a difficult night for me and definitely a challenging few weeks, both as a fighter and as a person. But I’m recovering well and looking forward to the future now,” Clarke said.
The host continued by asking how Frazer Clarke has processed what happened in the fight.
Clarke acknowledged the difficulty of the process, although he claims he is not one to make excuses: “I have to congratulate Fabio Wardley on a great performance. In terms of processing, it’s been very difficult. I’m not one for making excuses, and I never will.”
Frazer Clarke reflected on his performance in the fight. “Maybe a slow start on my part. Heavyweight boxing is tough; I got hit with a shot, and after that, it was really difficult to recover. I felt like I was in the best mental and physical shape of my life, and then, in a second, it was over,” Clarke said.
The boxer also expressed his gratitude for the support he has received. “I’ve had great support from former teammates, friends, and really everyone in the community. Everyone’s been wishing me well, and I appreciate all those people who have shown me so much love. I can’t get back to everyone, but a massive thank you to all of them,” Clarke expressed.
Sky Sports asked about the importance of the physical aspect of his recovery compared to the psychological one. Clarke was clear in his response while explaining his previous experience with injuries: “The quick answer is, in my opinion, no. I’ve been injured before; I’ve broken bones in my face before, and now I have another one. I’ll get past this; I’ll get through it with no problem,” Clarke said.
Frazer Clarke also highlighted the support he received at the event from the medical team. Likewise, he expressed gratitude for the attention he received and noted that even the Sheikh personally ensured Clarke received proper care during the surgery.
“I have another check-in with the medical staff in a few weeks, and I just want to give a big shout-out to them and to the doctors over in Saudi. The ringside staff and everyone who was there, the security, they really took care of me, and the Sheikh personally got the best surgeon out of bed to look after me. Big shout-out to them,” Clarke thanked.
Finally, Clarke expressed that he is doing well and noted that, regardless of the adversities, he will recover and is ready to take on the upcoming challenges.
“I’ll be fine. This is part and parcel of my job, and I knew that going into it. It’s hard to take; my pride is hurt, but physically I’m fine, and mentally, I’m up for the challenge once again. I have a few more people to prove wrong now”, Clarke concluded.
With a strong mindset to get back into action, Frazer Clarke is preparing for his next stage in boxing. It’s worth noting that boxer Johnny Fisher recently wished Clarke a speedy recovery with a view to a possible matchup between them in 2025.
Boxing Social is now on WhatsApp! Join our channel by clicking here and getting all the latest boxing news direct to your phone.