CHEV CLARKE is on a mission to become a household name this year – which he hopes to end with a British title in his possession.
The 2020 Olympian has blown through all cruiserweight comers since turning pro in February 2022, racking up seven wins on the bounce.
Three of those victories came in what most would have deemed to have been an active and impressive seven-month spell month last year.
But not Jamaican-born Brit Clarke, who told SunSport: “I would’ve liked to have had a few more fights, if I’m being honest. Especially last year.
“A lot of people would gas it up a bit more, but it’s been okay. I’ve won and for now the boxing people like me. So long may continue.”
He added: “I’ve levelled up each time I’ve fought. And I’d love to fight a bit more frequently.
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“A lot of people would say it’s frequent, but when you know what you can do and you know what you signed up for [it’s a bit frustrating].”
Clarke’s ambitions for 2024 are crystal clear: become a recognised name in as many outings as possible and get his hands on the British cruiserweight title.
“I’ve been the mandatory [challenger] for eight months before Issac got the belt,” Clarke lamented. “So to be fighting for another mandatory is a bit mad considering I’m already mandatory.
“But I’m not the one who pulls those cards. Also, people need to put more respect on the fact and realise I was mandatory for the British [title] after six fights.
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“Nobody wants to talk about it or nobody wants to push it. But put some more respect on it.
“Out of all the Olympians, who is doing what I’m doing? Other than Galal Yafai, who is doing what Chev is doing? There’s no one.”
Clarke insists it will be his fists, not his mouth, that will do the talking as he chips away for more recognition.
“I feel like there should be a buzz [about me], he said. “But like I said, other than Galal, I’ve made the most progress in terms of being a professional.”
He added: “I’m just gonna work hard, turn up and execute.”
One can forgive Clarke for having the British title – which is adorned around the waist of Issac Chamberlain – on his mind ahead of his ring return tomorrow night as he was mandated to fight for the belt last June.
Cross-promotional issues have seemingly delayed his bid to get his hands on the prestigious belt, which has resulted in the booking of a Belfast bust-up with Tommy McCarthy on Saturday night.
On paper, former EBU cruiserweight champion McCarthy will present Clarke with one of the tougher challenges of his professional career.
Some have even gone to describe the fight as a potential “banana skin”, a notion which amused Clarke.
He said: “Every fight is a banana skin. It is, isn’t it? Every fight is a banana skin. People are talking like you come into these fights and the opposition ain’t got no chance.
“We’re big guys, all it takes is one punch. From middleweight or super-middleweight upwards, all it takes is one punch.
“So to say this is, ‘Oh, this banana skin,’ I that’s like basic boxing talk. You don’t really know what you what you’re saying. Every fight is a banana skin.”
He added: “It is [a step up] in terms of what he’s done and attempted to do but that doesn’t mean nothing to me.
“When we fight, what I’ve done, what he’s done is irrelevant to me because it’s a new fight, it’s a new day and I will win on the 27th.”
Clarke is brimming with confidence ahead of his first outing of the year but is refusing to make a flat-out prediction for the fight.
He said: “You can plan all you want and you can say, ‘I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do that’.
“But when a man is in front of you and you have to think on your feet, that’s when you really see a person.
“You can talk all you want. Outside the ring, you can talk all you want.
“But it’s when you’re in there is when you find out who you really are and if you’re really about it. So, we’ll see how it goes.”
With some of the biggest names in British boxing – Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury included – approaching the twilight of their careers, fans are turning their attention to the next crop of potential stars.
Clarke has all the makings of one with the looks, style, stopping power and even the support of the vegan community.
But he knows all the accolades that come with fulfilling his dreams of becoming a champion won’t come unless he ticks off his short-term goals one by one.
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“I’d like to definitely have four fights this year – by the end of December,” he said. “And get a bit more experience with the rounds.
“Of course, win my British title, possibly defend it and we’ll go from there.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
