Chris Billam-Smith enters his November 7 bout with Cheavon Clarke driven by a decade-old grudge. The two cruiserweights meet at London’s Copper Box Arena, live on Sky Sports, in a clash rooted in their amateur past.
Both fighters arrive on the back of career-defining victories. Billam-Smith survived a brutal war with Ryan Rozicki, while Clarke climbed off the canvas twice to stop Jack Massey — both outcomes unfolding on the same Bournemouth card.
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Ryan Rozicki was pulled out of the fight after the seventh round following an instant classic with Chris Billam-Smith.
The rivalry dates to the 2016 national elite amateur championships final, where Clarke denied Billam-Smith the one title that had eluded him throughout his amateur career. The defeat still stings.
“To take that away from me it was pretty gutting, I was certain I was going to win it that year,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. “It’s still that elusive ABA title which he took from me. He got the nod, deservedly so, I’m not going to cry about it — I’m just going to put it right on November 7.”
Clarke also bested Billam-Smith in an English Title belt series, deepening the competitive scar tissue. “I’ve got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash on November 7!” Billam-Smith said with a grin.
Their careers diverged sharply thereafter. Clarke joined the GB setup and became an Olympian; Billam-Smith turned professional and captured a world title. Yet the Bournemouth native has made a habit of settling old scores. He avenged his loss to Richard Riakporhe in their 2024 rematch, and now seeks the same closure against Clarke.
“You wouldn’t recognise the amateur boxer I was compared to the pro boxer I am, so it’s very, very different — and that’s what I’ll be aiming for, a different outcome,” Billam-Smith declared.
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Chev Clarke bounced back from being put down twice in the fourth round as he went on to stop Jack Massey in the seventh round of their cruiserweight classic.
Clarke’s comeback against Massey only heightened the danger he presents. Twice dropped in the fourth round, he rallied to secure a seventh-round stoppage — a display of resilience and finishing instinct that commands respect.
“That makes him more dangerous,” Billam-Smith reflected. “To get put down twice in one round and come back… he still carries his power, is fast, got power in all his shots.”
While Clarke may lack the relentless intensity of Rozicki, his speed adds a distinct threat. “He puts his shots together well, so that makes him threatening for sure.”
Billam-Smith knows the challenge firsthand from shared rounds in the gym. “I’ve sparred him as well. He’s no mug. He knows what he’s doing in there, he’s always super-fit. He’s been hurt in the past, he comes back, looks the part. Never been stopped — he might have been dropped but never been stopped. It’s a hard night’s work; I’ve got to be 100 percent for it.”