Jeamie TKV left with eye the size of a golf ball in gutsy Frazer Clarke win

Jeamie TKV battled through a badly swollen eye to stun Frazer Clarke on away soil.

130 miles away from home, the Londoner bested Clarke of Burton-upon-Trent over the distance in a close-quarters battle at Derby’s Vaillant Live Arena.

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A badly dazed Clarke was sent staggering all over the ring in the 11th round, but remarkably hung on to hear the final bell.

One judge submitted a baffling 115-112 scorecard for Olympic bronze medallist Clarke.

However, the other two got it right by siding with TKV by margins of 115-113 and 115-112 to hand him the split decision victory and the British heavyweight title.

It was second time lucky for TKV, who was controversially stopped by David Adeleye in April when he last boxed for the Lonsdale belt.

The British Boxing Board of Control ordered a rematch, but Adeleye opted to relinquish the domestic strap in favour of a high-profile bout with Filip Hrgovic, leaving the vacant title to be contested between TKV and Clarke.

“It feels amazing,” said TKV in the immediate aftermath of his triumph.

“It was my second shot at the title, but it felt like my first defence. 

“I whooped him in his own backyard.

“I knew he would hold, but he was blowing in the first 30 seconds.

“He thought we were only doing three rounds, but we are not in the Olympics any more.”

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Story of the fight

TKV had a point deducted in the third round for straying low with his punches during a furious start that saw Clarke make good use of whipping uppercuts on the inside.

As the fight wore on, the tides began to turn.

TKV repeatedly found a home for a sharp left hook that stunned Clarke more than once, and in round 11, he had a massive breakthrough when he rocked his adversary to his boots with a clubbing right.

TKV poured on the pressure like a man possessed, and propelled himself into the ropes as he threw hell to the wind in search of the stoppage.

Clarke held on for dear life, using every trick in the book to weather the storm and see out the round.

Amidst the chaos, a huge golf ball-sized lump began to form above TKV’s right eye.

And yet he marched on undeterred to finish strong down the home stretch.