Clarke vs Huni Predictions: ‘Big Fraze’ could be entering his final phase

Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke looks to rebound from defeat against world class Aussie Justis Huni on Saturday, April 11. The fight takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov. The card will be broadcast live on Netflix.

Read further for my Clarke vs Huni predictions ahead of this heavyweight humdinger.

Clarke vs Huni Odds

Huni is the big favourite at 1/6 while Clarke is backed at 9/2 as we go to press. The draw is marketed at 18/1.

Clarke vs Huni Fight Preview

Clarke’s professional career has not gone as anticipated. The big man from Burton-on-Trent has not led the charmed life of an Olympic medalist despite a Tokyo 2020 bronze hanging proudly around his neck.

The early going was about par for the course, with Clarke seeing off lovable lugs like Jake Darnell and Kamil Sokolowski in his first handful of outings. After that came the gatekeepers like Bogdan Dinu and Mariusz Wach. So far so good, as Clarke went 7-0.

The towering Olympian faced what was touted as his toughest test in fight number eight when he squared off with Dave Allen. Clarke beat the popular ‘Doncaster De La Hoya’ via stoppage. Allen has lost two of his six fights since, the same amount of losses as Clarke has suffered in the years since their clash. The fact Clarke is on the undercard at a stadium while Allen headlines one against Filip Hrgovic next month in Doncaster shows how boxing never quite works like you think it will. 

But Clarke came into his March 2024 date with destiny at 8-0 and with big backing. On that date, he challenged British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley. What followed was one of the finest fights ever contested for that illustrious Lord Lonsdale belt. Clarke was dropped but he had Wardley on the edge himself on numerous occasions. 

A point deduction for repeated low blows proved to be a significant fork in the road for Clarke. When the cards were read out, the bout was scored as a split draw. Had Clarke not been sanctioned for going below the belt, he would have won a split decision and the British heavyweight championship he has long craved.

The butterfly effect becomes even more significant when you realise that Wardley is the current WBO heavyweight champion. Clarke must still wonder what might have been.

Of course, there is every chance their rematch seven months later goes the same way even if Clarke had entered as champion. Our subject endured a truly frightening jaw injury and an unforgettable knockout as Wardley put the world on notice. The Ipswich man has not stopped shocking the world since, finishing Joseph Parker and Clarke’s opponent here, Justis Huni, in the past couple of years to become champion of the world.

Clarke has won once since the Wardley devastation; a similarly-brutal first-round KO of Ebenezer Tetteh. But when the lights were on bright in November, as Clarke headlined BOXXER’s BBC debut against Jeamie Tshikeva for the vacant British belt, once again ‘Big Fraze’ stuttered.

It was a furious and brave battle. Another classic for Clarke’s burgeoning catalogue. But, once again, a British title war ended with the man in the opposite corner taking the title home. 

Clarke has made the right noises and done the right things. He is equipped with a new trainer in Joe Gallagher, the Manchester mastermind behind multiple world champions. But Huni is a huge challenge for a comeback fight.

The Australian was thoroughly out-boxing Wardley before the current WBO boss lowered the boom in the 10th round with a savage right hand. 

Huni is a technical marvel with his own superb amateur pedigree. While he never competed at the Olympics due to a broken hand keeping him out of Tokyo 2020, Huni won bronze at the 2019 World Championships. He is scientific in his approach, but the Australian had racked up three consecutive stoppages before Wardley knocked him out. There is power to back up that precision.

Clarke should be applauded for taking this fight. After the fact, many may sneer if he loses. But shouldn’t we want out boxers to pursue the biggest and best fights? Clarke has had the British route blocked on three savage occasions. Who can blame ‘Big Fraze’ for going another, possibly even harder, way?

Clarke vs Huni Full Card

Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov

Jeamie Tshikeva vs Richard Riakporhe

Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis

Justis Huni vs Frazer Clarke

Breyon Gorham vs Eduardo Costa Do Nascimento

Felix Cash vs Liam O'Hare

Simon Zachenhuber vs Pawel August

Mikie Tallon vs Leandro Jose Blanc

Elliot Whale vs Tom Hill

Sultan Almohammed vs Hector Avila Lozano

Francis Gorman vs Ryan Labourn

Huni vs Clarke Prediction

Speed kills and Huni is far quicker than Clarke. Gallagher will have instilled in his new charge a need to be considered and careful at mid-range. That is where the visitor does his best work. Clarke will need to time Huni’s jab and be out of the way before the slick straight right follows. It is Huni’s pet punch and he’ll be determined to land it.

Huni can be backed up. Wardley and Sam Goodall both demonstrated this in their fights with him. Clarke should use his size and those long levers to tie his man up. Make it ugly. Both were gifted amateurs, but Clarke’s best shot is to win this like a wily old pro.

I’m somewhat on the fence with this one, as it entirely depends on what Gallagher has been working on with his man. But I reckon Joe will have figured Huni out and Clarke can be his instrument of destruction. I’m backing Clarke for the upset at 9/2.

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