"I have a lot of respect for Frazer Clarke - he has been a great member of Team GB and this is his time to be the No 1 super-heavyweight - but Bakhodir Jalolov is a whole different thing."
Wednesday 4 August 2021 11:10, UK
An otherworldly being lurks in the way of Frazer Clarke's quest to emulate Anthony Joshua as an Olympic gold medallist. A super-heavyweight 'giant' feted for his size and strength even among fellow brutes, and a test so ominous it has felt inevitable since touchdown in Tokyo.
Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan is the No 1 seed in the super-heavyweight bracket and will fight Clarke on Wednesday morning in the semi-finals - the winner advances into the hallowed gold medal match and the loser returns home with a bronze medal and probably a busted lip.
There is already a queue of passengers at the airport with various facial injuries awaiting their plane home - they are Jalolov's former opponents. Mahammad Abdullayev of Azerbaijan was trounced, then the lacerated chin and damaged eye of India's Satish Kumar was displayed on Jalolov's social media.
Clarke arrives into the fight of his life with two cuts above each eye sustained in his quarter-final win, caused by headbutts. They would rule him out of a professional bout - Jalolov will know about them and will smell blood like a shark in the ocean. This Olympic tournament is not for the faint-hearted.
"He is a giant but doesn't move like one," Jalolov's promoter Lou DiBella told Sky Sports. "He has power and has unusual range and mobility for a man of his size.
"The combination of speed, power and athleticism in a man as big as him? Jalolov is not that concept of a southpaw mover or runner, either. He will hurt you, even with the jab. He has a lot of tools in his arsenal.
"I have a lot of respect for Frazer Clarke - he has been a great member of Team GB and this is his time to be the No 1 super-heavyweight - but Jalolov is a whole different thing."
They have boxed just once before and Clarke came out on top. Back in 2014, the Uzbek was 19 and the Brit just 21. It was a long time ago but these psychological advantages do mean something inside the ring.
"But Jalolov is a better fighter now, a much more seasoned fighter," DiBella insists.
Since then Jalolov has won 85 amateur bouts and lost 11, but none since 2017. He is the reigning world amateur champion.
He competed at the 2016 Olympics but lost to eventual silver medallist Joe Joyce who told Sky Sports: "He was a lot younger when I fought him, it was a good few years ago. Now he has that 'man strength'."
The other two semi-finalists are Kazakhstan's Kamshybek Kunkabayev and the USA's Richard Torrez Jr - Jalolov has a brutal history with both.
He twice lost to Kunkabayev but won their most recent two bouts. He has knocked out Torrez.
A sticking point has been the eight professional victories (all via KO) that the goliath nicknamed 'The Big Uzbek' has achieved.
The Olympics historically did not permit pro boxers to enter but a change of rules has created a divide.
"It doesn't sit well with me, personally," Clarke previously told Sky Sports.
"I am old school - you are an Olympian, an amateur boxer. But the world is changing. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. But for me? You make the sacrifice and the stepping stones. This is the apprenticeship then you go into professional boxing. That's how it's always been."
American Torrez disagreed: "I want to be the best in the world. Not amateur, not pro. I want to be the best.
"If that means there will be pros at the Olympic, more power to them. I want to say that I won the Olympics, not just the amateur Olympics. I'm all for them fighting because I want to fight the best."
DiBella guides Jalolov's pro career and says: "When I signed him it was clear that he was always remaining amateur. He fought a regular amateur schedule.
"He basically fought pro fights in between his amateur tournaments - that was the deal I struck with him.
"I knew that winning a gold medal was a big deal for him - his father died and Jalolov promised it to him.
"His emphasis in the past year has been on trying to win a gold medal. It was his goal when I signed him."
Jalolov has been forced into the fourth round just once as a pro and Clarke has said: "These guys are clever and are matched well. So it won't affect him that much. This is a different pace and if your head is somewhere else? But these teams and countries are not daft."
Clarke might need the performance of his lifetime to beat Jalolov. The Brit qualified for the Olympics at the third attempt after working as a security guard and getting stabbed. His rise to this point is a feelgood story within Team GB.
"I'm rooting for him," says Joyce, who kept Clarke out of the Olympics five years ago. "He has waited long enough for his experience. Now it's his time to shine.
"He's got what it takes to win a gold medal."
Joyce's advice: "It's just like any tournament you go to with Team GB. You see the draw and the potential route you could go. You have to deal with each fighter when they are put in front of you.
"Just him today, don't worry about who's next.
"Then beat them and move to the next stage.
"You have to focus your mind on each opponent and not worry about what is further ahead."
The problem for Clarke may be the 6ft 8in southpaw that is right in front of him. This fight is surely the most mouthwatering of the Games so far.
"Guys are fighting for their countries and their legacies," DiBella said.
"Giant men are in the ring. Any big man motivated is a dangerous man so we take nothing for granted.
"But do I think that my fighter is the best athlete at super-heavyweight? I do. But strange things can happen."
