Cheavon Clarke: I want to be the first world champion from Kent, the first one from Gravesend
Cheavon ‘C4’ Clarke is looking to explode on to the Olympic boxing scene and take a piece of Kent to Tokyo 2020 with him
Number one in the UK, number three in Europe and number five in the world, amateur heavyweight boxer Cheavon Clarke is so close to becoming a household name.
There is a certain aura and ego that often goes hand in hand with boxers, especially within the professional game, but, meeting Chev (as he is known) at the Cygnet Leisure Centre in Gravesend, it’s clear from the first moment that he has all the qualities and none of the bullsh*t.
Saying hello to each of those on reception before we set up our in-ring video interview, it is obvious he is a character, and a well-liked one at that.
Now spending most of his time training in Sheffield with other Olympic hopefuls, the one-time lorry driver still returns home weekly to be in and around his roots.
“You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from,” he says.
We decided to find out more.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST HINT YOU MIGHT BE GOOD AT BOXING?
After my first session, the coach came up to me and said “Do you know what? You’re really good. You could be a world champion.”
As a young person, you’re looking at this guy and thinking “Are you crazy? Did you not just see what happened?”, but to this day he still says the same thing to me. So far it has worked out well.
WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU COULD MAKE A CAREER OUT OF BOXING?
The first season, I went into the Novice Championships and won that. I started getting a bit gassed and getting a big head, thinking I was the guy around here, getting a reputation. But even then I didn’t believe I could be a champion.
The second season, I won the Under-25s Novice Championships and I still didn’t believe it. In 2014, I represented Jamaica in the Commonwealth Games. I initially had trials for Team GB and out of 30 I got to the last three and missed out because it was only the top two that got on.
I have a Jamaican passport, so I went to box for Jamaica.
I went on TV, the third-most-viewed programme in the world that day, and I lost. It was the biggest loss of my life. Normally, you can lose and a few people know about it, but this time the whole world seemed to know about it. I came back home and stayed in my house – nobody saw me and I took two years out. But I came back and won the Novice Championships and thought “You know what, they’re on to something here”.
WHAT DID YOU DO FOR TWO YEARS?
Those two years out were very different. I was a lorry driver. Driving all around the South delivering for companies like B&Q and Homebase. I was probably delivering in your area.
WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR CHEV?
I finished fifth in the world out in Russia, so next we’re going to prepare for the Olympic qualifications. The European qualifications will be in London at the Copper Box from 13-24 March.
We will probably have one competition before that, so there will be no Christmas for us! No Christmas dinners!
HOW DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE OLYMPICS IN TOKYO 2020?
You only have two chances to qualify. You have European qualification in March and world qualification in May. I will have to finish top four in Europe to qualify and if I miss that one, go to the world qualifiers in Paris and finish top four again in my category.
ARE YOU FEELING THE PRESSURE AS THE OLYMPICS GETS CLOSER?
It’s nothing different, really. It’s blown up because it’s the Olympics. But at the end of the day it’s just one more competition. So you have to do what you have been doing, stay focused, stay disciplined and go out and perform.
It doesn’t matter what you do, all that matters is that you go out there, perform and get the W.
As it gets towards the business end of things, training will get more intense. Get prepared, get sharp. Up at 7am every day and get ready to roll.
HAVE YOU HAD KIDS CHASING YOU DOWN THE STREET AND UP A LOAD OF STEPS IN THE SNOW?
This ain’t a Rocky movie, man! I’m not at that stage yet, I haven’t qualified yet. Running through the streets of Gravesend is lonely. They don’t even beep me!
WHAT DO YOU SEE BEYOND THE OLYMPICS?
That is the pinnacle of your amateur career. Going to the Olympics and getting a gold medal.
But then you build up to become a world champion in the professional game. I want to be the first world champion from Kent, the first one from Gravesend.
Follow Chev on Instagram @C4Chev