Underdog Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva hurt Clarke in the eleventh stanza before claiming the UK heavyweight championship on points
Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva defeated Clarke by split-decision to win the British heavyweight title on a important night for the sport, as live professional boxing came back to free-to-air television for the initial occasion in two decades
This wasn't a display of technical skill at Derby Vaillant Live arena, with frequent grappling and tying up, but the contest came alive when TKV hurt Clarke with a heavy left hook in the 11th round
A shocked Clarke somehow stayed upright and staggered back to his coaches
With his corner ready to pull him out if he didn't respond, Frazer Clarke declared he could carry on and courageously survived the concluding stanza
The judges had it 115-113 and one fifteen to one twelve for Jeamie Tshikeva, while the third judge scored one fifteen to one twelve for Olympic bronze medallist Clarke
"This is incredible I whooped that boy in his territory," London native TKV, who was deducted a point for a low blow, said
"I knew he was going to grab, but he started breathing heavily within the initial thirty seconds We're not in the Olympic competition anymore"
Jeamie Tshikeva Dominates Late to Surprise Frazer Clarke
Frazer Clarke had early success at the start but Jeamie Tshikeva - who was constantly cautioned for low blows - finished strong in the later rounds
Around 3,500 vocal fans packed the smaller stadium, taunting Jeamie Tshikeva on his entrance
'Big Fraze', from local Burton-upon-Trent, earned a enthusiastic welcome in return
To the crowd's pleasure, he asserted himself in the first round, throwing a jab to the body before throwing sharp uppercuts that clearly troubled TKV
But the fighter from Tottenham - whose family has a interesting past, with both his dad and grandad working in the military forces of Zaire - displayed his determination and settled into the contest
The fight had initially been planned for last October before a injured rib forced Jeamie Tshikeva to pull out
The postponement reheated the rivalry, spoiling a once-respectful rivalry
The challenger's coaches frequently objected to body punches from TKV, some connecting on the blindside of the official, who delivered a caution in the third round
Moments later, another borderline shot earned Jeamie Tshikeva the point deduction
Jabbing were scarce; instead, the bout turned into clinches from Clarke and weight pushing from Jeamie Tshikeva, with lunging, predictable shots breaking up the contest
TKV had success with his left hand, and Frazer Clarke with his rising punch, but the two competitors soaked up the blows as if they were hitting concrete
Just as the bout seemed to be fading, TKV - his right eye badly swollen - threw a left hook that made Clarke reeling in the 11th stanza
Clarke stayed upright only by leaning into Jeamie Tshikeva, seeming disoriented as the referee stepped in for a inspection
His trainer, his coach, looked ready to stopping the fight, but Clarke demanded to carry on
He left the boxing ring without giving a after-fight media, still looking shell-shocked
Francesca Hennessy Shines in Stylish Win
In the chief-support bout, British fighter Francesca Hennessy extended her winning run to seven wins, no losses with a dominant decision victory over ex atomweight world champion her opponent
After an impressive walk to the ring including a performance together with a group of dancers, Hennessy, 21, demonstrated sharp movement, crisp choice of punches and smooth combination punching
She had great success by targeting the torso of the 29-year-old Czech fighter - who previously held a world championship at atomweight - as all three judges scored all 10 rounds to Hennessey
"Billion Dollar Baby on the television, here we go, guys," the fighter from Kent stated, before challenging former world title holder her potential next opponent
Clarke, TKV and Francesca Hennessy all played their part in what could be an important evening for British boxing
There may not have been a title fight or a famous fighter on the bill, but free-to-air exposure can connect with different audiences, bring in youth into boxing gyms and expand the boxing in ways premium boxing may have trouble to achieve
Time will tell what the true impact will be, but if just a handful more youngsters join their local boxing club on next week, the event will have had an impact
