Frazer Clarke believes he can swing public opinion by upsetting Justis Huni at Tottenham on Saturday night.Â
The 34-year-old heavyweight is seeking to reignite his career after missing out on the British title in a split decision defeat to Jeamie TKV last November.
Huni is meanwhile coming off a devastating knockout defeat to Fabio Wardley in a fight that the Australian had been controlling before a disastrous conclusion in the 10th round.
It was enough to showcase his talents, despite coming up shy in the face of Wardley's now-world-title-worthy power, putting Clarke on full alert this weekend.
"He's one of them names that when he didn't qualify for the Olympics, you're half thinking, 'yes, that's one less problem', because he's very good," Clarke told Your Site of Huni.
"I think he's good all round. He's got good feet, good hands, good defence. He's fast. He's been in boxing for a long time. Why him? The opportunity to fight Justis Huni really, really got the juices flowing because these are the tests that I want.
"I know people say how can you go from boxing Jeamie TKV at British level and jumping to world level, because he is a world level fighter. He's ranked very highly among a few government bodies. So I can do that because I trust in myself. I believe in myself."
Clarke enters the fight with a renewed confidence after teaming up with new trainer Joe Gallagher, but understands why his lacklustre performance against TKV might see him deemed an underdog.
"I believe in the work that I'm doing," he said. "I believe I can go there and cause the upset because that's what it would be.
"It's not because no one's giving me a chance. Quite understandably so after my last performance, people judge what they're seeing last.
"As long as me in this heart and in this head believe what I can go [in and do], I don't need no verification of anyone else. I can see it. And I already believe it. And I know what I'm capable of.
"When the stars align on that night, I'm not going to shock the world, but I just want to change people's opinion. And by winning this fight, I think it elevates me to a really good level."
Clarke split with trainer Angel Fernandez before beginning to work with Gallagher at the start of the year, admitting change had perhaps been due sooner.
It came in the wake of a defeat to TKV that had left Clarke questioning his own approach upon reviewing the fight.
"I watched it back and thought, what was I doing?" said Clarke. "I fought in a bit of a trance if I'm honest, and it backfired on me.
"The fight was very close, but when I look back at it and watch it back, I could totally understand the decision, Jeamie winning.
"It haunts me if I'm honest. The defeat to Fabio Wardley was one thing, good shot and I'm done, but then that overall performance hurt me a lot more because I'm better than that.
"I don't like the way it's left people's opinion of me. I want people to think I'm a good fighter and that is definitely not the lasting vision I want people to have of me."
Clarke's loss to TKV had arrived a little over a year on from his first-round knockout defeat to Wardley in their rematch in Saudi Arabia, in between which he recorded a first-round stoppage of Ebenezer Tetteh in a tune-up fight.
Clarke and Wardley had delivered the fight of the year when their initial meeting ended in a draw in March 2024, the former recovering from an early knockdown to wrestle back control of the fight and arguably leave himself a knockdown of his own away from victory.
Wardley has since gone on to become WBO heavyweight world champion after stoppage wins over Huni and Joseph Parker, with his first defence due against Daniel Dubois in May. Clarke, though, doesn't allow himself to think about what might have been.
"You can sit there and we can dwell on that, but I do believe a man doesn't get what he wants or what he believes he should have, a man gets what he justly works for, that's what he deserves," said Clarke.
"I do believe the work I'm doing now will get me to that level. The last fight probably would have have elevated me to that level.
"Should have, would have, could have, what if, they're great questions, aren't they?
"I still think I won that first fight personally, but we've been and gone and all I know is this moment, 11th of April, I'm not looking past it, I won't be thinking about anything else."
