Billam-Smith carries amateur defeat by Clarke into Saturday's grudge match

British boxers Chris Billam-Smith and Cheavon Clarke will face each other in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday, November 7. The two met ten years ago in the final of the national amateur championships, which Clarke won, so the fight gives Billam-Smith a chance to settle an old score.

The final that changed two careers

In 2016 Billam-Smith was the favourite and hoped to finally win the national title, which would have opened the door to the Olympic programme. Clarke, who had drifted away from boxing before an unheralded return, won the three-round contest instead. It was one of two amateur defeats Billam-Smith suffered against him. Clarke went on to join the GB squad and became an Olympian.

Billam-Smith never won the elite championships. He turned professional and went on to win British, Commonwealth, European and eventually world titles. He says he enjoys avenging defeats and points out that he has already done so against Richard Riakporhe.

Different fighters now

Billam-Smith says he has changed as a professional: as an amateur he boxed long on the back foot, whereas now he moves forward and punches short. He calls Clarke very dangerous. In his last fight Clarke was knocked down twice but stopped Jack Massey, a former European champion and world title challenger, in the seventh round.

Clarke is the underdog this time and said people have written him off, just as they did before the amateur final. European champion Viddal Riley, who boxed Billam-Smith as an amateur and Clarke as a professional, said the defeat affected Billam-Smith for years even though the fight lasted only nine minutes. In Riley's view, Clarke needs a win to remain a force in the division.