Boxxer are planning to bring Frazer Clarke back from his first defeat in a tune-up in April.
The heavyweight lost for the first time in October, when he was dramatically and worryingly stopped by Fabio Wardley inside a round seven months after they fought to so entertaining a draw.
Instead of Clarke emerging with the British and Commonwealth titles and becoming the heavyweight figure the Boxxer stable lacks, the nature of the knockout combined with his 33 years put his career in doubt.
The promoter recognises that his age – Clarke has fought 10 times as a professional, having won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 – means that time isn’t on his side, but will prioritise a less dangerous contest before seeking to take him back to what they described as “the big time”.
“I spoke to him – he’s in great spirits,” Ben Shalom told BoxingScene. “He’s back in the gym on January 10. I said, ‘Do you even feel anything?’ He said, ‘No’. Incredible recovery, both physically and mentally, but we’re not going to really know until we see him back in that ring.
“He’s a fan favorite, and someone that people are gonna watch for many years to come. He’ll be back in April – the date we sort of already know. God willing, his recovery will be good, he’ll have a great camp, and we’ll see him back in with a new sense of motivation.
“He’s not young. But if I’m honest, after what happened, and what I saw, I want to make sure he’s okay, and I want to see that he’s okay, and I don’t think he’s going to be straight into one of the biggest fights because I think that would be irresponsible. His safety will come first. He’ll want to have one fight. I want to make sure; see where he’s at; see where his level’s at; see where his fitness is at; see where he’s mentally at. Then he’ll be straight into the big time.”
Wardley is reportedly on course to next fight Cuba’s Lenier Pero. Shalom was then asked whether Clarke’s first fight back would be scheduled over 10 rounds, and he responded: “We’ll see.
“We’ll see how the camp goes. It will be a test, but I want to see where he’s at.”
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