Frazer Clarke believes David Allen was trying to instigate his disqualification as he was warned for repeated low blows before his stoppage victory in Manchester.
Clarke’s unbeaten record appeared in peril after he was deducted two points in the sixth round, but Allen then signalled he was unable to continue as the heavyweight fight was waved off following the sixth round at The AO Arena.
Both fighters then traded heated words in the ring after the clash and Clarke insists the Doncaster man was trying to ‘play’ the referee Mark Lyson.
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Jeamie TKV calls out Frazer Clarke after his win over David Allen. Mikaela Mayer and Natasha Jonas question if Allen was making the most of the low blows in the fight
“I think Dave Allen was trying to take the Oscar off Usyk!” Clarke told Sky Sports. “He tried to play a good one and he wanted the referee to help him out, but it didn’t work for him.
“We ain’t got the VAR in boxing but when I do watch it back, I’ll do my own VAR decision on it. Maybe one of them went south but we’re in a boxing match, it’s epic, it’s heated and them things happen. It was never intentional but I’ll watch it back and I don’t think the rest of them were.
“He’s a professional fighter but he’s also a professional that knows he was losing the fight. I don’t think he thought he was getting back into the fight and he wanted another payday. He was trying get a disqualification I believe in order to get a rematch and get paid again.
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Frazer Clarke picks up the win over David Allen after he retired, but Clarke wasn’t happy with his performance or the tactics from Allen and his team
“Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve got a good inkling that it’s the first one I said.”
Allen: I have no problem with what happened
Allen appeared to indicate a burst ear drum as the fight was brought to a halt, although questioned the quality of his own performance and insisted he wouldn’t have wanted to see his opponent disqualified.
Frazer Clarke claimed victory over David Allen on Saturday
“First of all my performance was poor,” Allen said on Instagram. “Fighting an Olympic medallist after four years pretty much of inactivity was never going to be easy, but I am hugely disappointed with myself.
“My plan was to spoil and make it ugly early but when the time came to up the pace, I just couldn’t find it in myself and I was fit and have no excuses. I just didn’t do very well and it happens but very disappointing.
“The low blows were low but that’s the game. I have no problem with what happened there. I would have hated to win by disqualification as I was second best. The end of the fight was a mixture of frustration and worry with my ear and mouth.
“In all honesty, I had not won a round and I had nothing left to give and another four rounds of punishment last night would have seen my career over. I’m a father and a coach and I see myself as I see my boys, I live to fight another day and more importantly I go home in one piece.
“I am disappointed but I trained hard and fought to the best of my abilities and I just wasn’t good enough. I will just have to live with that and pick things up in a few weeks and decide on my next moves.”