A decade has passed since their paths diverged in the amateur ring, yet the wound from that encounter remains fresh for Chris Billam-Smith. On Saturday at the Copper Box Arena in London, the two former rivals will finally get their chance to rewrite history in a professional setting, with their clash headlining Zuffa Boxing 12 and broadcast live on Sky Sports.
According to Sky Sports, the two boxers last met in 2016 when they were competing as amateurs, with Clarke emerging victorious in the final of the national championships. That nine-minute encounter proved to be a pivotal moment in both their careers, though it sent them in markedly different directions.
Clarke's victory that day opened doors that remained closed for Billam-Smith. The win secured Clarke a place on the GB squad, leading to his selection for the Olympic programme and establishing him as the country's amateur number one at that moment. Billam-Smith, by contrast, had entered the final as the favourite, having reached it three years earlier and viewing it as his gateway to Olympic selection. Instead, he found himself on the outside looking in.
The emotional toll of that loss lingered long after the final bell. Billam-Smith would go on to turn professional, initially grinding through small hall shows before gradually ascending the ranks. His professional journey has been considerably more decorated than Clarke's, accumulating British, Commonwealth, European and world titles along the way. Yet that amateur defeat to Clarke remained unresolved.
Clarke, meanwhile, drifted away from boxing before making an unheralded return to the sport. His path has been less straightforward than the trajectory his 2016 amateur triumph might have suggested.
I was dancing like a madman,Clarke recalled of his celebration in the ring that day.
When I think about, if I didn't win that, would I have got the opportunity to go on the national team? Chev Clarke was not supposed to be in the final. On the way to the final I beat all the favourites that year.
Billam-Smith's response to Clarke's jubilation was more measured.
I wouldn't dance as my celebration,he said,
but he won his fight, he can celebrate how he wants.What Billam-Smith truly wants now is redemption.
The desire to avenge a defeat is not new territory for Billam-Smith. He previously defeated Richard Riakporthe in a rematch, proving that beating an opponent who has already beaten you is possible. He is determined to replicate that achievement against Clarke.
The technical transformation Billam-Smith has undergone since those amateur days gives him confidence.
Amateur and pro is a different sport and had I not changed enough as a pro and I was still that out-and-out boxer then this fight, and my outlook on it, would be different,he explained to Sky Sports.
But I'm a completely fighter to how I was then, on the backfoot boxing long as an amateur. Now I'm on the front foot punching short. It's literally the opposite.
Beyond the technical adjustments, Billam-Smith craves the emotional satisfaction that comes with settling the score.
There's probably someone better at psychology than me [who can say] as to why I enjoy avenging a defeat,he reflected.
I've always had this inner competitive spirit where I want to win and that's what's got to me to the stage I'm at. Because I want to win. I've got that in me. To then lose and then avenge it, that's a great feeling. Especially when you've lost a fight, you're the underdog going into the next fight, most of the time. This fight will be different because of the scenario.
Clarke, however, has demonstrated his capacity to inflict damage in recent outings. In his last fight, he picked himself up from the canvas twice to stop Jack Massey, a former European champion and world title challenger, in the seventh round. That performance showcased the kind of resilience and power that makes him a genuine threat.
Billam-Smith is acutely aware of the danger Clarke presents.
With Chev he keeps the speed [when hurt] and that's why he was able to land that right hand that was the beginning of the end for Jack and that makes him a really, really dangerous fight. Really dangerous. At the same time I believe in my own abilities but I'm very aware of the other possibilities and what could happen if I'm not on my game.
Yet Billam-Smith has also found that the prospect of facing a formidable opponent sharpens his focus.
I love that feeling, that fear of a big puncher can make you perform well and with Chev it's definitely that.
For Clarke, this fight represents an opportunity to prove himself on a stage where he has been somewhat eclipsed by Billam-Smith's professional accomplishments. Clarke enters as the underdog, a position that mirrors his status heading into that 2016 amateur final.
I think it's the same thing, the fact that people wrote me off all the way through,Clarke said.
My story is still being written. I come out and I set myself a goal. I'm willing to do whatever it takes with integrity to achieve it. Come November 7, he's got his bitterness and I've got my attitude. So you guys are in for a hell of fight.
Viddal Riley, the current European champion who has faced both men during his career, understands the depth of Billam-Smith's grievance. Riley boxed Billam-Smith as an amateur and Clarke as a professional, giving him unique insight into how the 2016 defeat shaped their trajectories.
It definitely does because it has such a knock-on effect to even what your pro career journey starts off as. Chev starts his pro journey as an Olympian, getting promoted as such, A side,Riley told Sky Sports.
Chris would have had to get out the mud. He had to get out the mud. It affected his life for years despite that fight being only nine minutes. So it's interesting. I think Chris will have that in his heart going into this weekend. He's had that chip on his shoulder and he's done extremely well with that chip on his shoulder because he's won every belt you can win. Chev will also know that he needs to win to be a force to be reckoned with in the division. Otherwise he's going to be on the outskirts of the juicy fights.
Both fighters arrive at this showdown in strong form. According to Yahoo Sports, Billam-Smith returned to the ring in June 2026 and stopped Ryan Rozicki in seven rounds, demonstrating his continued ability to finish opponents. Clarke's June victory over Massey, where he recovered from being knocked down twice to secure a seventh-round stoppage, equally underscores his capacity to overcome adversity and deliver decisive results.
Fight Details and What Comes Next
The November 7 showdown is scheduled as a 10-round cruiserweight contest, with Sky Sports coverage beginning at 7 p.m. GMT, with preliminary bouts from 5 p.m. Billam-Smith enters with a record of 22-2 (14 KOs), while Clarke holds a record of 12-2 (9 KOs).
The card also features Denzel Bentley versus Shane Mosley Jr as the co-main event. For the victor, this bout could serve as a stepping stone toward bigger opportunities in 2027, with a potential shot at Jai Opetaia looming as a possibility for the winner. Tickets for the event are available via Ticketmaster.
