Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva achieved the most significant victory of his career in Derby this afternoon, defeating Frazer Clarke to seize the vacant British heavyweight championship by split decision.
It’s difficult to perceive this as anything but a turning point for Clarke. The 2020 Olympian turned professional after 30 and aimed to compensate for lost time with a rapid ascent, but was decisively beaten by Fabio Wardley in their rematch last year. While that loss endured well with time, displaying such a poor performance against a moderate domestic competitor like Tshikeva is a career-ending scenario if I’ve ever encountered one.
Regarding Tshikeva, he possesses numerous pathways. A rematch with David Adeleye following their contentious initial meeting this past April would be logical, or potentially a bout with fellow fighter Hughie Fury as part of the latter’s ongoing revival journey.
