JEAMIE TKV UPSETS OLYMPIAN FRAZER CLARKE, CLAIMS BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN IN DERBY
TKV claimed the British Heavyweight title, defeating Frazer Clarke by split decision in a gruelling fight. The event marked professional boxing's return to BBC TV.
Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva (9-2, 5 KOs) beat Frazer Clarke (9-2-1, 7 KOs) by split decision on November 29, 2025, grabbing the British heavyweight title. This was a big deal, as it was the first time in 20 years that live pro boxing was back on BBC TV.
The fight at the Derby Vaillant Live arena wasn't a technical masterpiece. There was a lot of holding, but things got interesting when TKV from Tottenham landed a hard left hook on Clarke in the 11th round.
Clarke, though shaken, managed to stay on his feet and get back to his corner. His trainer almost stopped the fight, but the tired 34-year-old said he could keep going and fought until the end.
The judges scored it 115-113 and 115-112 for TKV, while one judge had it 115-112 for Clarke, who won a bronze medal at the Olympics.
It feels great. "I beat him on his own turf," said TKV, 32, from London. He had a point taken away for a low blow in the third round.
I knew he would hang in there, but he was tired early on. This isn't the Olympics anymore.”
TKV later said he was sorry for his distasteful comments at the post-fight press conference.
Clarke, a Tokyo 2020 winner, suffered his second pro loss. Now in his mid-thirties, it's not clear what's next for him.
For TKV, this is his biggest win so far in his 11th fight.
He left the ring with the British heavyweight title, joining a list of champs like Henry Cooper, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.
About 3,500 fans filled the arena, booing TKV as he walked to the ring. Clarke, from nearby Burton-upon-Trent, got a big cheer.
The fans were happy when Clarke started strong, landing a jab to the body and some uppercuts that bothered TKV.
But TKV, whose father and grandfather were in the Zairean army, showed he could fight and settled into the match.
The fight was first planned for October, but TKV had to pull out due to a rib injury. This made things tense between them.
Clarke's corner kept complaining about TKV's low blows, some of which the referee didn't see. The ref warned TKV in the third round, and soon after, another low blow cost TKV a point.
There weren't many jabs; instead, Clarke kept holding, and TKV leaned heavily. The punches thrown were big but obvious.
TKV did well with his left hook and Clarke with his uppercut, but both fighters took the hits well.
When the fight seemed to be slowing down, TKV, with a swollen right eye, landed a left hook in the 11th that stunned Clarke.
Clarke stayed standing by leaning on TKV, looking out of it as the referee watched closely.
His coach, Angel Fernandez, almost stopped the fight, but Clarke insisted on going on.
He left the ring without talking to the press, still looking dazed.
'Billion Dollar Baby' wins big.
In the main supporting fight, English bantamweight Francesca 'Billion Dollar Baby' Hennessy is now 7-0 after beating former atomweight world champ Fabiana Bytyqi.
Hennessy, 21, had a great entrance with dancers and showed quick footwork, good shot selection, and smooth combinations.
She kept hitting the body of the 29-year-old Czech fighter, who used to be a world champ at atomweight. All three judges gave every round to Hennessey.
"BDB (Billion Dollar Baby) on the BBC, let's go," said Hennessy, calling out former bantamweight world champ Shannon Courtenay.
Clarke, TKV, and Hennessy all played a part in what could be a big night for British boxing.
Even though there wasn't a world-title fight or a famous name on the card, being on free TV can reach new fans, get young people into boxing gyms, and help the sport grow in ways that pay-per-view can't.
We'll see what happens, but if some kids join their local boxing club on Monday, the night will have been worth it.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
