Billam-Smith on Clarke revenge mission: 'I've got a lot of bitterness!'

Chris Billam-Smith on revenge mission against Cheavon Clarke: 'I’ve got a lot of bitterness inside me!’ Chris Billam-Smith has an old score to settle when he fights Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena in London next month: "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash!"; Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports Thursday 8 October 2026 18:34, UK Chris Billam-Smith is on a revenge mission when he fights Cheavon Clarke on November 7. Billam-Smith takes on Clarke, an old amateur rival, at the Copper Box Arena, live on Sky Sports. Both men are coming off spectacular wins, with Billam-Smith battling through an exhilarating war with Ryan Rozicki and Clarke rising from the canvas twice to come back and take out Jack Massey, all on the same Bournemouth bill. - Campbell would end retirement to fight Benn: 'He was insulting me!' - Fury vs Joshua key questions: What we know and what we don't - Follow boxing for news and highlights in the free Sky Sports But Billam-Smith has a 10-year-old score to settle with Clarke. Bournemouth's Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result that still rankles. It was an accolade that Billam-Smith had spent his whole amateur career trying to win. "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," Billam-Smith continued. "He got the nod, deservedly so, I'm not going to cry about, I'm just going to put it right on November 7." They boxed twice, with Clarke also beating 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 grinned. They followed different paths. Clarke took a place on GB and became an Olympian, while Billam-Smith turned pro and has won a world title. The Bournemouth man has also made a habit of avenging defeat. He relished beating former conqueror Richard Riakporhe in their 2024 rematch, and now he wants to do the same 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. Clarke however showed how much of a threat he can be in his last fight when he stormed back to finish Massey. "That makes him more dangerous. To get put down twice in one round, come back. He still carries his power, is fast, got power in all his shots," Billam-Smith reflected. "Cheavon isn't as intense as Rozicki - I'm not sure that anyone is - in terms of the way he fights. But he carries much more speed, which adds more danger. "He puts his shots together well, so that makes him threatening for sure," Billam-Smith concluded. "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." Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports. Tickets for ZUFFA BOXING 12 available now via Ticketmaster. [Image text:] UFFA XING SAT