Frazer Clarke interview: 'I want to carry on tradition of English super

We touch on a major incident in his life, in 2016, just after he had become a father. “My daughter was two weeks old. We had the traditional go-out-and-wet-the-baby’s- head. We went to a nightclub. A local place I’d been in a hundred times before without any trouble.” But a fight broke out.

“In the heat of the moment I was caught in a fight with three or four lads. Outside, after it, my sister’s friend saw me and screamed. I can remember looking in a mirror and seeing blood coming out of my neck. I’d been stabbed. Then I realised I’d been stabbed twice in a leg as well. I’ve lost people close to me to stabbing. I was one of the lucky ones.” 

Once Clarke had recovered from the wounds, he returned to boxing, even more determined.

On being chosen as one of Telegraph Sport’s “Eight To Watch” for the Tokyo Games, the big fella is delighted. “It’s nice, I appreciate it. No pressure on me at all. Hopefully. I’m the man to do the job. I want to carry on the tradition of the super-heavyweights in England. Audley Harrison, David Price, Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce – all Olympic medallists. I want to be on that list. Hopefully I can do everyone proud.”