The atmospheric York Hall was the scene of a triumphant evening for 2020 Olympic medalist Frazer Clarke (7-0, 5 KOs), as he battled against the seasoned Mariusz Wach (37-10, 20 KOs) in a fight aired live on Sky Sports.
From the onset, Clarke demonstrated impeccable control, skillfully navigating the opening rounds with an effective jabbing strategy. Frequently outlanding Wach, a formidable 47-fight veteran, Clarke showcased his talent by keeping his offense varied and piercing. By leveraging his effective jabs to the head, he was able to land substantial hooks to Wach’s body, gradually eroding the latter’s resilience and paving the way for increased vulnerabilities in the later rounds. Although Wach managed to find occasional successes by exploiting gaps in Clarke’s defense, it was the former Olympian who consistently remained on top of each round.
Reflecting on his victory, Clarke admitted to Sky Sports: “I started off well but I think I faded. There’s a lot of things I did right and a lot of things I did wrong. I have to thank Ben Shalom and 258 because I needed that fight. I smothered my work, and when Mariusz Wach ties you up, it’s very hard to break out.” Ben Shalom echoed Clarke's sentiments, stating, “He started off well and I thought the fight would be short, but we needed that round. I was delighted he got 10 rounds experience and it was the right decision to make this fight.”
In the undercard, Caroline Dubois (7-0, 5 KOs) defeat Yanina del Carmen Lescano (13-3, 4 KOs) with a points win of 80-71. Anees Taj (7-4, 5 KOs) fell to Viddal Riley (9-0, 6 KOs) via a TKO in the 4th round at 2:36. Uisma Lima (10-1, 8 KOs) was bested by Aaron McKenna (17-0, 8 KOs) in a unanimous decision with scorecards reading 100-91, 98-92, and 98-93. Isaac Chamberlain (15-2, 8 KOs) also earned a points win of 78-74 over Dylan Bregeon (13-4-1, 3 KOs).
Image Credit: Sky Sports