Frazer Clarke is confident that a slight delay to his plans won’t prevent him from proving that he has what it takes to thrive in the higher reaches of the heavyweight division.

This Saturday night, Clarke (9-1-1, 7 KOs) had been due to launch Boxxer’s new broadcast deal with the BBC against London’s Jeamie TKV (8-2, 5 KOs).

Just last week, TKV was forced to withdrew through injury and the vacant British heavyweight title fight was quickly rescheduled for November 29.

Clarke has seen a doctors letter explaining TKV’s withdrawal but that hasn’t stopped the 2020 Olympic bronze medallist from theorising that there may be an ulterior motive behind the postponement.

This weekend, Clarke’s former rival, Fabio Wardley takes on former WBO champion, Joseph Parker, in a high stakes heavyweight showdown at London’s O2 Arena.

TKV trains alongside Wardley at the Ben Davison Performance Centre in Essex.

The clash of dates was unfortunate for a number of reasons but had both fights taken place on the same night, TKV would have travelled with a much smaller support team.

Clarke can’t help but feel that injury struck at a convenient time.

“It’s something to do with the rib, so I heard. That made me suspicious as well,” Clarke said about TKV’s injury during an appearance on talkSPORT Boxing.

“You can have some time off now, then come back in two weeks, then [have] two weeks training for a British title fight? I wouldn't say that that would be great preparation. Or is it the fact that Ben Davidson can't be there because he's going to be with Fabio Wardley? Does he need his hand holding by Ben Davidson? I don't know.”

Clarke has spent just 112 seconds in the ring since he suffered a frightening second round knockout at the hands of Wardley in October of last year.

The 34-year-old believes that the sudden, graphic finish to the fight has made people forget that, just seven months earlier, he and Wardley dragged each other to hell and back during a brutal 12-round draw for the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.

Time heals and Wardley's graduation to world class has strengthened Clarke’s belief that he to can compete at that level.

Seeing fringe contender Arslanbek Makhmudov battle his way past his former victim, Dave Allen, earlier this month has bolstered that confidence further. If he gets past TKV, Clarke believes that the Russian is exactly the type of fighter he should be targeting next.

“He's obviously going to be looking that way [up] but, around that level, I've seen him. Guido Vianello, just had a really good win over in the States and now he’s he's calling for Anthony Joshua. Around that level, I feel like I can go in there and compete with anyone,” he added.