‘GUTTED’ Halesowen super middleweight Lennox Clarke is demanding a rematch after a controversial split decision denied him the British and Commonwealth titles in Birmingham last weekend.
Clarke suffered his first loss in 21 professional fights to Commonwealth champion Lerrone Richards in a bout where the vacant British strap was also up for grabs.
The Halesowen fighter, 28, appeared to be the aggressor throughout the bout but two judges scored the contest 116-113 and 117-112 to undefeated Londoner Richards, while the other had Clarke winning 115-113 on points.
Speaking to Boxing News TV immediately after the fight, Clarke urged Richards’ promoter Frank Warren to set plans for a rematch in motion.
Clarke said: “I feel as if I edged it. He was running scared. I definitely feel I did enough.
“We want an immediate rematch and I will stop him. I will break his heart again.
“I broke his heart late in that fight, I will break his heart early in the next one.
“I’m gutted. I could feel the win, everyone ringside knew I had won, Frank Warren knew I had won.”
Clarke also revealed he had been hampered by injury in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career.
“I have been training with one hand,” he added. “I’ve had an injured arm and had to punch through pain in that fight, I had no timing in my right hand.
“I was sparring 12 rounds with one hand. If we had a proper camp tuned up, he wouldn’t live with me.”
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