Chris Billam-Smith is on a revenge mission when he faces Cheavon Clarke on November 7 at the Copper Box Arena in Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports. Both men are coming off spectacular wins. Billam-Smith battled through an exhilarating war with Ryan Rozicki, while Clarke rose from the canvas twice to stop Jack Massey, all on the same Bournemouth bill.
Billam-Smith has a long-standing score to settle. He lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result that still rankles. It was a title he had spent his whole amateur career chasing. "To take that away from me it was pretty gutting, I was certain I was going to win it that year," he said. Clarke also beat him in an English Title belt series. "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash on November 7!" Billam-Smith said.
The two men followed different paths. Clarke represented GB and became an Olympian, while Billam-Smith turned professional and won a world title. The Bournemouth fighter has also built a habit of avenging defeats, having beaten former conqueror Richard Riakporhe in their 2024 rematch. He now wants the same result against Clarke. "You wouldn't recognise the amateur boxer I was compared to the pro boxer I am," he declared.
Billam-Smith respects the threat Clarke poses. Clarke's stoppage comeback against Massey showed his power and resilience. "That makes him more dangerous," Billam-Smith said. He added that Clarke carries much more speed than Rozicki, which makes him threatening. "He's no mug," Billam-Smith said of his opponent. "It's a hard night's work, I've got to be 100 percent for it."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing