By Elliot Worsell
MOST of them seemed the identical. They have been bald, as large as they have been lengthy, and firmly of the idea {that a} scowl says a thousand phrases.
As if created from the identical recipe, or mould, these males would stand with their arms crossed, biceps bulging inside a too-small polo shirt, and concurrently puff out their chests and slim their eyes, all within the hope of sniffing out hazard earlier than anybody else. A few of them got here from up north; others from down south; destined to satisfy someplace within the center (Derby, to be precise). Some noticed smiling as a weak point; others noticed it as an amazing energy. Some had completed their combating days; others have been simply getting began.
One in every of these males was often called “Fraze” or “Huge Fraze”. Quieter than the remainder, he would usually be seen standing by a hoop publish throughout public exercises, or on struggle evening itself, and was, though bald just like the others, conspicuous for a few causes. He was (a) clearly youthful than his comrades and (b) a safety guard with boxing aspirations of his personal.
That, as an idea, was fairly novel. In spite of everything, whilst you would usually discover ex-boxers taking on safety roles, hardly ever would you encounter an energetic boxer – an beginner at that – going into safety work to complement their revenue. He was good, too, they mentioned, this Frazer Clarke; at boxing, that’s. Time and time once more, the truth is, you’ll hear his colleagues converse of how a lot potential he had and the way in a matter of years he wouldn’t solely compete on the Olympic Video games however win a medal after which flip skilled. Largely, when listening to this kind of discuss, you simply rolled your eyes, considering, Yeah, yeah, not one other one.
Within the meantime, Clarke was content material to pay attention and be taught, patrolling giant arenas not because the headline act – that was to return – however as one of many males trying to maintain all people secure. He was, in his position as fight-night safety guard, liable for preserving the peace reasonably than creating violence; fairly the paradox.
“He loved the job,” says Simon Roberts, previously of Safety Alert UK (SAUK). “He loved boxing and he loved safety and this was an instance of the 2 worlds coming collectively. It served a number of functions.
“We determined to deliver him into the enterprise, one, to complement his revenue, and two, to get him on the market. In 10- or 12-years’ time, he was going to show professional, and this simply helped him spend time on the scene. He was mixing on the scene not solely as an excellent beginner boxer however chopping his enamel in boxing safety.”
Frazer Clarke (Barrington Coombs/Getty Pictures/BOA)
Clarke began working safety between 2009 and 2010 and would proceed doing so for one of the best a part of a decade. In that point, he labored on quite a few large occasions, each at dwelling and overseas, and have become a well-known face within the sport lengthy earlier than receiving deserved recognition for his personal combating prowess.
Now, as a professional boxer with an 8-0 document, Clarke stands on the cusp of profitable the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles in a headline struggle on the O2 Area. This area, after all, shouldn’t be just one during which Clarke has beforehand offered safety, however can be one his previous colleagues, these of SAUK, will safe when Clarke fights Fabio Wardley, the present champion, on Sunday evening.
Even earlier than that, there are fixed reminders of Clarke’s earlier life in every single place he seems. The afternoon we converse, for instance, he finds himself surrounded by pals striving to keep up a way of order on the pre-fight press convention, every of them sporting black shirts sporting the SAUK brand.
“I’ve obtained to thank Clifton (Mitchell) for the job,” Clarke, now 32, tells me. “Between him and Simon (Roberts), they’ve seen a 17-year-old lad who needed to field and was boxing however was additionally most likely doing a little bit of naughtiness on the weekends. They gave me the chance to as a substitute go to boxing occasions on the weekend and known as it ‘working’.
“I believe Clifton deep down knew he was taking me on an apprenticeship. When everybody else was advised to have a look at the group, I’d be trying on the boxing. It was a good time in my life and it has made occasions like this one (on Sunday) very acquainted to me. Once I see these guys from SAUK, it’s like strolling amongst pals. I do know the foundations and all of the dos and don’ts.”
Clifton Mitchell, himself a former professional boxer, runs SAUK and has recognized Clarke and his household, notably his father, for over 40 years. He has witnessed Frazer the child, Frazer the younger boy, Frazer the tearaway, and Frazer the boxer. He’s additionally the one liable for serving to create Frazer the protector.
“He was large and robust however past that it’s important to discuss his persona, his means to talk to folks, and his means to cope with a scenario with out utilizing violence,” says Mitchell. “That’s an instance of management. Lots of people don’t have that. When folks threaten you, you possibly can both react and remorse it or you possibly can stand there and smile. You’ll be able to see that Frazer is somebody who could be very managed. You don’t see any pushing and shoving in any respect with these two (Clarke and Wardley). He’s a extra rounded fighter due to the work he did as a safety guard. He’s needed to cope with completely different conditions and be taught self-control. That’s the important thing.”
Roberts agrees. He, like Mitchell, noticed the event in Clarke from boy to man and is aware of, having spent a lot of his personal youth partying with the heavyweight, what Clarke might have turn into had he not realized self-control and self-discipline via each work and sport.
“He’s the whole, and I’ll inform you why,” says Roberts. “He’s large, however with safety it’s all the time discuss first till it will get to the purpose of no return. Frazer, for his measurement, is such a likeable individual. He can discuss to anybody.
“Any safety crew on the earth is stronger with Frazer Clarke in it. It’s so simple as that. It’s not nearly his energy, both. I’m speaking his all-round qualities. He’s a pleasant lad; the most effective males I do know. He’s robust as an ox and hits like a bull.”
In lots of respects, it’s onerous to think about Frazer Clarke in his position as safety guard. He speaks in addition to anybody in boxing, particularly when pressed on its extra contentious points (see his fairly good evaluation of Anthony Joshua’s post-fight meltdown towards Oleksandr Usyk) or assessing his personal failings, and he additionally has a smile extra generally discovered on stuffed toys within the arms of kids. In his presence, by no means do you’re feeling threatened and even a lot as intimated; this regardless of the harm he can do together with his two fingers. Which, after all, is the very level. The very ability he has realized.
“I believe I realized the right way to discuss and talk, which is an efficient factor,” Clarke says. “I additionally realized just a few dos and don’ts on struggle week. As you see, I don’t include a giant crowd of individuals. I don’t need a large entourage. I’m fairly low upkeep. I’m not a famous person or attempting to behave like one. I’m a standard individual and I give everybody respect, from the safety to the employees to the general public.”
The Clarke smile (Richard Pelham/Getty Pictures)
Certainly, if anyone concerned with struggle week goes to know each the worth of and difficulties confronted by safety guards it’s Frazer Clarke. He has been the place they’ve been and he has fought the identical type of fights, both with the safety of rival groups or inebriated followers on struggle evening.
“I am going again to 1 incident,” says Roberts. “There was a Prizefighter occasion at Wolverhampton Civic in 2012 and it completely went off. There have been a load of Wolverhampton soccer hooligans there and it obtained very moody. There have been seven or eight of us on the ground and there have been 50 or 60 Wolverhampton followers and someway we have been in a position to defend ourselves and cease it. However Frazer was simply so robust in that scenario. He undoubtedly had to make use of just a few of his beginner boxing expertise that evening, let’s put it like that. John Wischhusen, who was working for Matchroom again then, mentioned, ‘I’ve by no means seen safety cope with that many individuals so rapidly.’ Frazer was undoubtedly liable for at the very least 20 of them on his personal.”
Reminded of this story right this moment, Clarke laughs, his face turning into even much less threatening than when straight and severe. It’s, for him, a surprisingly fond reminiscence.
“That was a mad one,” he says. “All of the Wolves lads, the soccer lads, they kicked off large time. That was one in every of my first occasions and since I used to be younger I used to be half wanting it to go off. Principally, it’s gone off – chairs and tables, the lot – and numerous them have been combating towards safety. As a younger lad, you’re simply considering, Nice, I get to throw fingers right here and received’t get in bother with the police as a result of I’m doing safety. It was good. It was enjoyable. However in the end as you develop up you realise it’s not enjoyable, it’s harmful. Finally my days as a safety guard turned about taking care of folks and ensuring they’ve an excellent time reasonably than getting in fist-fights with soccer hooligans.”
A few years after Wolverhampton, Clarke, together with his newfound strategy and mindset, was confronted with an altogether completely different problem – and unlikelier one – when, on stage, he was greeted by the prospect of a fist-fight with a wide range of fellow safety guards. As if a part of some ill-conceived laptop recreation, Clarke discovered himself alone, on stage, tasked with holding again the push of between 15 and 20 males all intent on getting past him, The Last Boss, and getting into the stage to assert what for them was the prize: an ego increase.
“We mentioned a number of occasions with Carl’s (Froch) camp and George’s (Groves) camp the thought of solely having two members of safety on stage, however then George turned up with about 20 of his personal bodyguards,” recollects Roberts. “It was clearly all thoughts video games and what have you ever, however they’ve all rushed the stage and Frazer Clarke has mainly turn into a one-man military and stopped at the very least 10 of George’s bodyguards from getting on stage. It was superb to witness.”
“Oh my God,” says Clarke, simply as enthused by the reminiscence. “He had just a few severe heavies with him and Clifton advised me, ‘Solely two folks on stage.’ They tried to take about 15 on there and I simply stood on the highest of the steps and mentioned, ‘Look, two have gone previous, no extra are coming via.’ I used to be only a younger lad in my early twenties and clearly I had lots of people attempting to throw photographs at me and the one factor I may do was throw photographs again. We obtained into it a bit of bit; nothing too mad however we undoubtedly obtained into it. I obtained numerous respect for that from lots of people. However in the end I used to be simply doing as I used to be advised.”
Respect’s the phrase. Shortly, in boxing circles, the Frazer Clarke legend began to develop and develop because of that incident. One supply previously of Matchroom tells me, “Frazer was all the time so skilled, with nice consideration to element, and was good at his job. Frazer stood on the prime of the steps that day and singlehandedly stood as much as 20 safety guards. That may all the time stand in my reminiscence as an excellent illustration of him.”
In addition to rising his status on the earth of safety, Clarke’s status as a boxer was rising at the same charge. Quickly he knew there could be a tough option to make.
“He stopped (working safety) across the time he obtained elite funding from GB, which was most likely six or seven years in the past,” says Roberts. “You’ll be able to’t be doing each at that stage. With these reveals, it’s a full day – or typically week – out of your life. You’ll be able to’t eat correctly. You’re not coaching. It got here to its pure finish however it served an excellent goal.”
Clarke provides: “I used to be on the GB squad and going to the Commonwealth Video games and stuff and Rob McCracken mentioned, ‘Look, I see you at reveals on the weekends, it’s most likely time we take this actually severely and relaxation on the weekends.’ I had a phrase with Clifton, he understood and wished me one of the best, and that was it. We’re household anyway. The safety days are over however even on a day like right this moment, at an occasion like this, I’m nonetheless on edge. I’m nonetheless trying round and scanning the room for bother.”
Clarke assess the room (Jess Hornby/Getty Pictures)
In different phrases, working safety has given Clarke an consciousness bordering on paranoia usually related to retired gangsters preferring taking the seat within the restaurant going through away from the wall. He likes to see every little thing; he likes to know who’s coming and going and the explanations for each. Greater than something, he’s a person now totally snug in all environments and round all kinds of folks. He’s snug when watching large fights in large arenas and doing all he can to stop bother, and he’s each bit as snug when making ready to struggle in large arenas and doing all he can to trigger the very factor he as soon as seemed to avert.
“He has been AJ’s (Anthony Joshua) sparring companion and has additionally been there and seen it on the large occasions,” says Mitchell. “He has been backstage, labored large struggle nights, and been ringside with AJ. None of that is new to Frazer. Individuals may say this as a giant occasion for him, however nothing’s greater than going to the Olympics, and he’s executed that. The whole lot he has executed thus far has led him thus far and I believe he’s effectively and actually prepared for it. The safety has helped with that. This isn’t the primary time he’s coming to the dance.”
“I used to be round numerous world champions throughout that point (in safety),” says Clarke. “I used to be round Carl Froch and Anthony Joshua. Additionally, Luke Campbell and Khalid Yafai. You be taught loads from guys like that and these occasions are second nature to me now. It’s not an issue.
“One of many nice moments for me was doing the entire camp with Anthony Joshua earlier than his struggle with Wladimir Klitschko (in 2017) and folks considering I’m only a safety guard after which on the finish of the struggle he introduced me within the ring and gave me the belt and mentioned, ‘You should be within the ring since you helped me.’”
Expertise is invaluable in boxing, as it’s in any stroll of life, and it has once more been a buzzword forward of Sunday’s battle between Clarke and Wardley. Some say Clarke’s beginner expertise trumps Wardley’s professional expertise, whereas others level to Clarke’s mere eight professional fights and recommend Wardley’s 17 – towards marginally higher opposition – offers the Ipswich man a bonus. Regardless of the fact, there may be one edge Clarke has over Wardley no one can dispute.
“Working safety obtained Frazer used to that big-fight expertise earlier than he had been concerned in a giant struggle of his personal,” says Roberts. “I keep in mind Conor Benn, on his debut on the O2, being a bit nervous and saying to me, ‘Simon, can you’re taking me over to the venue?’ I took him over there and I keep in mind strolling into the O2 with him and his supervisor and seeing Conor’s face change as quickly as he entered. It was like he had by no means seen one thing that large in his life.
“Frazer, however, had his debut on the undercard of (Kell) Brook vs. (Amir) Khan. It was a sold-out area and he most likely did between 500 and 1,000 tickets himself. You understand what? You couldn’t see a nerve in his physique. I believe that was from him being round Sky (Sports activities) and being round so many large occasions over time. He knew precisely what to anticipate.
“Though Frazer has solely had eight fights and Fabio has had 17, Frazer’s professional expertise from being round safety is greater than what folks suppose it’s. Individuals can freeze in these large fights. That is Fabio Wardley’s largest struggle on the largest stage and it’s additionally the identical for Frazer. However Frazer has been round and concerned in a lot greater occasions than this one and subsequently is aware of what it’s all about.”
My contact at Matchroom goes one step additional. “You’ll have thought in his day job that he needed to learn to management his feelings and his aggression when coping with tough conditions,” he says. “I believe should you may select an apprenticeship to get you prepared for occasions like this, with out really being an beginner boxer, it might most likely be a safety guard. There isn’t a higher preparation for occasions like this than to have been a safety guard for a similar type of occasions. He has been immersed on this expertise in each attainable manner.”
Now, having watched fights in large arenas, prevented fights in large arenas, and subtle fights in large arenas, all Frazer Clarke has to do is tick one remaining field to finish the set: win a professional struggle in a giant area.
