American heavyweight Rydell Booker forced to withdraw through illness
Frazer Clarke will face former WBA world interim heavyweight title challenger Bogdan Dinu this Saturday, March 25th at Manchester’s AO Arena.
The news comes as Clarke’s initial opponent Rydell Booker is sadly forced to withdraw through illness following a serious medical incident.
The American heavyweight was taken unwell last weekend. Booker had attended a boxing event in his hometown of Detroit, just days before he was due to travel to the UK, where he was taken ill with a serious medical emergency. He is now recuperating and everyone at BOXXER sincerely wishes Rydell Booker a full and swift recovery.
Undefeated Team GB Olympics hero Clarke (5-0, 4 KOs), who memorably won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, will now bid to take another scalp on his burgeoning resume when he faces off against his 6ft 5in Romanian rival.
Dinu (20-4-0, 16 KOs) was beaten by Daniel Dubois the last time he fought in England when he was stopped for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title in June 2021.
Last year, he fell short in his challenge for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title after taking on Kevin Lerena.
Based in Bucharest, Dinu fought former world title challenger Kubrat Pulev in 2019 and has stood opposite American Jerrell Miller too during his 24-fight career since turning professional in 2008.
Outside of the ring, the 36-year-old has served as an Independent Special Actions and Intervention Service Agent (SIIAS), which is a Romanian police task force created in 1995 as part of the Counter-Organised crime squad. Its roles include seizing dangerous or armed criminals, handling hostage crises, disaster rescues, the protection of police, witnesses and others involved in criminal investigations.
Whether Dinu will be able to handle the might of ‘Big Fraze’ in Manchester remains to be seen, however. Standing at a mean 6ft 6in, Clarke has been triumphant in his last two successive fights at the AO Arena and will be looking to make it a hat-trick when he returns this Saturday.
“Unfortunately Rydell Booker had to pull out of the fight. He’s had a medical problem, so I’m sending my best wishes to him and I hope he can get better soon,” said Clarke, speaking today on Sky Sports News.
“We’ve got a new opponent in Bogdan Dinu, who is a very credible opponent. He has boxed some great names including the likes of Daniel Dubois, Kubrat Pulev and Jerrell Miller. It’s a good fight for me and I’m looking forward to it.
“This is professional boxing – you can’t bank on anything. I’m accustomed to it now and throughout my career I am used to fighting people at a day’s notice. My job is to go out there and win. People can talk about looking fantastic and making a statement. But I’m a winner and that’s my job every time. If I can perform how I know I can then I will do that. I’m looking to go out there and make a statement.
“It’s been an up-and-down start to my career. Everytime I’ve got in there and I’ve won. This is heavyweight boxing. It’s dangerous. It’s up to me to be professional and do my job.
“It doesn’t matter who I’m getting in with this weekend, I’m ready to go and do my job."
Final tickets are on sale now at BOXXER.com starting at just £25 – a bargain price for a blockbuster night of elite boxing, headlined by Lawrence Okolie defending his WBO world cruiserweight title against New Zealand’s David Light.
This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.
Article sponsored by HÖRFA
