With Rydell Booker suffering a sudden severe illness, Bogdan Dinu has stepped in to fight Olympic super-heavyweight bronze medallist Frazer Clarke this Saturday at the Manchester Arena, live on Sky Sports; "It's up to me to be professional, which I am, go in there and do my job."
Tuesday 21 March 2023 15:09, UK
Frazer Clarke will face former WBA world interim heavyweight title challenger Bogdan Dinu this Saturday at Manchester's AO Arena, live on Sky Sports.
The announcement comes after Clarke's initial opponent Rydell Booker was 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.
Undefeated Team GB Olympic hero Clarke, 5-0 (4), who memorably won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, will now bid to add another scalp to his burgeoning resume when he faces off against his new rival, 6ft 5in Romanian Dinu.
In his 16th pro bout, Daniel Dubois fought Dinu, 20-4 (16), for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title in June 2021.
"Unfortunately, Rydell Booker had to pull out of the fight. He had a medical problem and best wishes to him, we hope he gets better soon. But we've got a new opponent, Bogdan Dinu, he's a credible opponent, who's boxed some great names," Clarke told Sky Sports News.
"It's a good fight for me and I'm looking forward to it."
Last year, Dinu fell short in his challenge for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title when taking on Kevin Lerena, who recently dropped Dubois before being stopped himself.
Dinu also fought former world title challenger Kubrat Pulev in 2019.
"This is heavyweight boxing. It's dangerous. Especially this guy at short notice," Clarke said. "It's up to me to be professional, which I am, go in there and do my job. I'm looking forward to it.
"It doesn't matter who's getting in with me at the weekend I feel confident, I'm fit and strong. I'm ready to do a job."
Outside of the ring, the 36-year-old Dinu 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.
After the late change of opponent, Clarke said: "This is professional boxing. Don't bank on nothing. I'm accustomed to it now and from my whole amateur career, I've been used to fighting people at a day's notice. So my job is to go out there and win.
"It's been an up-and-down start to my career with the change of opponents. It's happened three or four times now out of five fights. So it's not been ideal," he continued. "Some of these guys, they're tough, strong, durable opponents."
But he added: "I believe I can outbox and knock these guys out.
"I'm a winner and that's my job every time. If I perform how I know I can, then that's what will happen and it will be a statement."
Watch Frazer Clarke on the undercard of Lawrence Okolie vs David Light this Saturday on Sky Sports
