Chev Clarke TKO7 Jack Massey... Former British cruiserweight champion Chev Clarke got off the canvas twice to stop Jack Massey and claim a stunning come-from-behind TKO victory. The size difference between the pair was evident as the action got underway, with the taller, rangier Massey looking to work from the outside, while Clarke attempted to time his entries to let his shots go from inside Massey’s range. That distance battle saw Massey land a big shot that appeared to briefly stiffen Clarke’s legs, but Clarke quickly recovered, and responded with a solid shot of his own as the bell sounded to end round one. Clarke noticeably upped his speed in round two and found a home for a beautiful two-punch combination. But Massey immediately responded with a rapid-fire right hand of his own as both men started to increase the intensity. A one-two from Massey appeared to briefly stun Clarke, but he was unable to follow up before the end of the round.

 

After a well-contested round in the third, Massey made his power count in the fourth as he dropped Clarke twice with huge shots. A clubbing right hand clipped Clarke on the top of the head and sent him down to the canvas, but the Gravesend man got back up quickly to take the full eight-count. Massey quickly followed up in search of a finish and earned a second knockdown, but once again Clarke found a way back to his feet. The finish looked imminent, but somehow Clarke managed to stay out of trouble long enough to escape the round.

 

After looking close to being finished in the fourth, Clarke came back firing in the fifth and appeared to hurt Massey with a big shot midway through the round that forced the former world title challenger to hold on. And in round six, Clarke continued his resurgence with another strong round as he knocked out Massey’s mouthpiece, before later finishing the round with a thumping shot to the body. Then, the seventh round brought the fight’s full-circle moment, as Clarke decked Massey with a huge right hand. Massey beat the count, but still looked in real trouble, and Clarke swarmed him with heavy punches that forced the referee to step in and wave off the fight at the 1:24 mark. It gave Clarke an incredible come-from-behind TKO as the Gravesend native, whose fighting nickname is “C4,” found his explosive power when it mattered to claim the victory in remarkable fashion.