Clarke signs with Matchroom, will campaign at cruiserweight

Clarke fell to Abner Teixeira in the Tokyo 2020 Round of 16

Frazer Clarke isn’t the only Team GB Olympic veteran gearing up to go pro this year. Tokyo 2020 representative Cheavon Clarke has signed a “long-term promotional deal” with Matchroom Boxing ahead of his cruiserweight debut.

No word yet as to specific dates.

The 31-year-old Clarke medaled in numerous European competitions en route to a spot in Tokyo, where he started strong but ultimately fell short against eventual bronze medalist Abner Teixeira. He’s got good size for the division at 6’3”, but odds are he’ll need to be fast-tracked if he wants a shot at contention.

“I’m delighted to have signed a long-term promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and I can’t wait to make my professional debut this year,” said Clarke. “This feels like the perfect time to get my journey in the pro ranks on the road. As an amateur I won the ABA title twice, I won bronze at the Commonwealth Games, I won a European silver medal and I qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. I didn’t achieve what I set out to achieve at the Olympics. I wanted to win a medal, but I didn’t – and that wasn’t good enough. It was still a great experience though and something that I can always say that I’ve done.

“I just like the way the Matchroom shows are. There’s a legacy behind it. Speaking to people behind the scenes and speaking to Eddie, it felt right and it was a simple decision. I’ll bring that excitement and explosiveness, ferociousness and bad intentions. I can do it all. I can mix it all up. I can give you a bit of the Mike Tyson, a bit of the Ali, the Roy Jones. Ultimately, I’m Cheavron Clarke. There can only be one of anybody and I’m just the best Cheavron Clarke I can be. C4Boxing x Matchroom has been a long time coming!”