As an amateur boxer, Clarke won the gold medal in the men's lightweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games.

Chris Clarke represented Team Canada in the men's lightweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games.

His defeat of Aaron Pryor in the finals made him the first Canadian boxer to ever win a gold medal at the Pan American Games.

: In 1980, he became the Canadian Middleweight champion by defeating Ralph Hollett in a title fight held at the Halifax Metro Centre.

[5] The Halifax native retired in 1987 after a loss to Shawn O'Sullivan of Toronto in a non-title bout dubbed the "Brawl for it all".