Boxing Debut in Doubt as jeamie TKV Reportedly Pulls Out of Frazer Clarke Main Event
The highly anticipated boxing debut on BBC television is facing disruption as Jeamie TKV has reportedly withdrawn from his scheduled main event against Frazer Clarke. The fight, slated for 9pm BST, was intended too headline the broadcaster’s first boxing offering under a new multi-year deal with boxxer.
The postponement throws the BBC’s return to regular boxing coverage – its first consistent output of the sport in many years – into uncertainty. Boxxer, led by founder and CEO Ben shalom, secured the agreement with the BBC in August, following the conclusion of a four-year partnership with Sky Sports. The deal promised to bring boxing to “Saturday night primetime television” on a free-to-air channel, with additional fights streamed on the iPlayer app.
TKV and Clarke’s bout was strategically scheduled to avoid a clash with the heavyweight title fight between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at London’s O2 Arena. The Clarke fight represented an opportunity for the boxer to secure a second consecutive win after a previous loss to Wardley.
The BBC has a ancient connection to boxing, having aired the first televised boxing match in the UK in 1938 - Eric Boon vs Arthur Danahar – but its coverage has been sporadic since. While the broadcaster regularly features amateur boxing during the Olympic Games, the Boxxer partnership signaled a renewed commitment to the professional ranks.
Further details regarding the future of the event and a potential replacement opponent for Clarke are currently unavailable.
