The Tokyo Olympics is jam-packed with outstanding performances — and a pinch of controversy, which became apparent after British boxer Frazer Clarke won a medal following the disqualification of his opponent from France, Mourad Aliev.

The duo was battling at the Kokugikan Arena to secure a spot in the super-heavyweight semi-final when the game took a surprising turn.

An Unexpected Disqualification 

Aliev was seemingly dominating Clarke in the first round of the quarter-finals, where the Team GB's captain was cut for the first time above his eye. The French boxer used his head, and the blow wounded Clarke. 

After some patchwork, he joined the second round and successfully landed decent close-range shots. But as the second round came to its end, Clarke got another head clash that left him bleeding from a cut above his eye. 

In the light of the attack, the game's referee, Andy Mustacchio, stopped the match and penalized Aliev with a disqualification. Then, he announced Clarke as the winner. 

The interruption and the disqualification were the last things Aliev expected. He furiously shoved a camera, stomped around the ring, and then spat out his mouth guard, shouting, "everyone knows I won."

In a start turn of event, the French boxer sat alone at the end of the ring for over an hour to protest at his disqualification. 

The member of the French coaching team was unhappy with the decision. He claimed that the management did not want France to win in boxing.

Clarke was also not thrilled to be victorious in such a manner, but he stated how it was out of his hands. He shared the referee had decided, and they had to believe in his decision. 

After that, the heavyweight boxer mentioned the head clashes and recalled how a couple of heads were going in. However, he clarified he didn't take it personally.

Whether it’s intentional or not, I don’t know. An orthodox boxing a southpaw — it often happens.

And indeed, Clarke was among the many who tried to calm down Aliev. He genuinely didn't want his opponent to damage his reputation or be rude to the officials because of his emotions. 

I told him to calm down. I’ve been in those situations myself. Often you’re not thinking with your head, you’re thinking with your heart and your emotions are all over the place.

After the surprising win, Clarke reserved an Olympic medal, a bronze at the least. He will still face Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan in the semi-finals for a chance at gold.  

Frazer Clarke Addressed His Victory

It is fair to say that Clarke got into the semi-finals via a shortcut. But many people were dissatisfied with his victory, prompting the boxer to address the situation and make things clear once and for all. 

As a result, Clarke took to Twitter to confront all the negative comments on July 31, 2021. The athlete stressed that the bout's ending was out of his hands and mentioned how the match was a competitive fight, excelling through the rounds. 

Addressing the negative comments, the 29-year-old then stated he would not be called a cheater or anything of that sort. He maintained he was only doing his job. 

Friends and followers were quick to shower their support to the Burton upon Trent native. Even British sports columnist Steve Bunce shared his thoughts and praised Clarke for trying to calm his opponent.