Cheavon Clarke says he does not care about the amateur fight that Chris Billam-Smith finds hard to watch. Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result he believes denied him a place in the Team GB boxing squad.
The British cruiserweights will resume their rivalry in the professional ranks as the main event on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports. Clarke, who also defeated Billam-Smith in an English title belt series, said: "I beat him twice [as an amateur], but I haven't got any hook-ups on it. Maybe he has. We're professionals now and it's a new era."
Clarke went on to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics, while Billam-Smith secured his ultimate professional achievement as WBO world champion. The 36-year-old admitted he is still irritated by his defeat a decade ago. Watching back footage, he said: "At the time I thought I had done enough to win it, but he's the aggressor, he hit me with some good shots." He added that the defeat marked the beginning of the end of his amateur career, and that it "gives me that fire in the belly."
Clarke climbed off the canvas twice before halting Jack Massey in June. He insists his boxing intelligence and battling spirit will be crucial against Billam-Smith. "Billam-Smith is notoriously tough, but boxing is not a game to be tough," Clarke said. "It's a smart person's sport, so we'll see."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing