It is just under three weeks since Fabio Wardley brought his rivalry with Frazer Clarke to a swift, brutal conclusion.
The heavyweights battled each other to a standstill - and a split draw - in a memorable British title fight in February but the rematch lasted less than three minutes. A thudding Wardley right hand ending the fight and breaking Clarke’s cheekbone in the opening round.
Clarke, 8-1-1 (6 KOs), was operated on within hours of the injury occurring and will have access to the best possible medical opinions and resources during his recuperation. He will recover physically. The mental aspect of the defeat could be harder to overcome.
Clarke is an experienced fighter and a smart man and will have always boxed with the knowledge of what could happen to him in the ring. From now on, the Olympic bronze medallist will fight with the full awareness that it can happen.
Clarke will be keen to get back into the gym to begin making technical improvements but, , he dismissed the idea that he might seek out somebody to help him deal with the psychological impact of the defeat.
“The honest answer for me is no. I’m a fighter. I’m probably naïve. I was naïve up until the moment. I never thought that could happen to me but it’s happened to so many champions over the years. You never think it’s going to be you,” he said.
“The quick answer is no. I’ve been injured before. I’ve had broken cheekbones before and I’ve got another one now. I’ll get past this and get through this no problem. I’ve got another check in with the medical staff in a few weeks.”
At 33 years old and with a long, grueling amateur career behind him, Clarke can’t afford to embark on a long rebuilding program and - given how frustrated at the speed of his progression during the early stages of his career - it is safe to assume that he won’t want to.
A comeback fight to settle his nerves and test out his repaired cheekbone under live fire would be a likely step but if he is to get back to title level, Clarke will have to get himself into another real fight before too long.
Clarke may not have come to terms with just how quickly his British dream came to an end but he has accepted the scale of the task he now faces. He has already got the bit between his teeth and is preparing to attack it.
"In a nutshell, I’ll be fine. I’ll get over this. It’s part and parcel of my job and I knew that going into it. It’s hard to take on a personal note and my pride is hurt but physically I’m fine and mentally I’m up for the challenge once again. I’ve got a few more people to prove wrong now.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X