Chev Clarke knocked out Ellis Zorro in what appeared to be a ‘delayed reaction’ stoppage.
The British pair met on the undercard of Josh Taylor’s high-profile rematch with Jack Catterall at the First Direct Arena on Saturday night in Leeds, with the British cruiserweight title on the line.
Clarke was looking to pick up his biggest accolade to date against rugged operator Zorro, and despite a lacklustre start he ultimately did so in style.
As the end of the eighth round approached, the former British Olympian finally put his foot on the gas and went on the attack.
Clarke landed a couple of booming shots including a thumping right hand which took the sting out of his rival.
Zorro initially responded with shots of his own, but was clearly buzzed and retreated back to the ropes.
‘C4’ then launched a new onslaught catching his rival with some glancing blows, but Zorro appeared to already be on his way down despite receiving a big left hook.
It appeared the reaction had been delayed, and Clarke received his stoppage right on the bell with Zorro unable to beat the referee’s count.
Clarke scored a big win for his career, and will now be looking forward to beginning his pursuit of world honours.
The domestic cruiserweight scene is stacked, with Chris Billam-Smith currently holding the WBO world title, which he will defend against Richard Riakporhe on June 15.
After just nine wins, Clarke is eyeing glory and insisted he could look to become world champion in just his tenth outing.
He said prior to his win: “[Billam-Smith] has always worked hard. We fought each other twice and we trialled for GB Boxing together.
“I went ahead and he went pro. I’m sure one day soon we will bump heads.
“I’ve only had seven fights. Could I become a world champion in 10? There’s not a lot of people that’s done that so I could be in a small club.
“There’s a few guys ahead of me because they’ve been pro longer than me but in terms of quality and skills, it’s just a matter of time until you see my name at the top of that list.
“I’ll be knocking around the world scene.”
Clarke also clashed with Viddal Riley after his last win over Mikael Lawal, and could look to challenge his stablemate at the back end of 2024.
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News Summary:
- Chev Clarke leaves opponent on canvas with unusual ‘delayed reaction’ KO to secure British title
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