INTRODUCING – Simon Clarke
For Simon Clarke, boxing was never about bright lights or chasing title dreams.
It was about finding an escape.
The Derry fighter makes his professional debut in Finn Valley on Saturday night. Climbing through the ropes will represent the beginning of a pro story but end of a unique chapter for Clarke.
The journey to the paid ranks began years earlier when a teenager struggling to process his emotions walked into a boxing gym looking for an outlet rather than a career.
By boxing current standards, Clarke was a late starter, first pulling on the gloves at the age of 13. However, he quickly discovered the sport offered something he had struggled to find elsewhere.
Rather than talking about the challenges he was facing, the heavy bag gave him a way to release everything he was carrying.
“I got into boxing when I was very young. Well, I was actually a late starter for boxing. I started when I was about 13 which in boxing terms is actually pretty late,” he explains.
“I just had my own sort of issues mentally and emotionally that I couldn’t really get out by talking. So the best way to deal with it was going to a boxing club and punching the punch bag.
“That’s how I ended up getting involved in boxing just for my own mental sake when I was younger as a teenager.”
What started as a coping mechanism slowly developed into something much bigger.
As Clarke spent more time in the gym, his love for the sport grew alongside his ability.
“Once I started the sport I fell in love with it,” he adds.
“I had a passion to do this as a full-time job.”
That dream becomes reality this weekend, although Clarke admits his first taste of professional boxing quickly showed him that there was still plenty to learn.
“Crazy. My first training camp was a big eye opener,” the Dan Boyle coached boxer says.
“I thought I could box until I went up and sparred with some of the lads and I was humbled. The level of fitness and the stuff that was required was more than I actually had to offer.”
According to the debutant, there is nowhere to hide in a professional gym.
“The first camp as a professional is definitely probably the hardest because it’s a big transition. I sort of went in blindsided not knowing how high the standards are for professional boxers. Now I’m really confident that I’m going to win my debut.”
Clarke begins against Marcin Ficner on the Jason Quigley-promoted bill. The semi pro graduate is excited to get going and is ready to come sprinting out of the blocks.
“I have a really, really strong team. It’s a big help. It’s a big ego booster. I’m just ready to put on a show. I’m ready to show what I’m worth now. “It’s going to be electric. It’s going to be fast-paced. Very, very fast.”
