10 years in the making – Billam-Smith's revenge mission

Former crusierweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith is hoping to get one over his old amateur rival Cheavon Clarke when the two meet on Saturday in Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copperbox Arena. Good things come to those who wait – or so hopes Chris Billam-Smith. On Saturday, Billam-Smith gets the opportunity to end a 10-year wait for revenge when he shares a ring with Cheavon Clarke at London's Copper Box. The Britons boxed in the final of the 2016 National Championships, with Clarke winning by decision. "Any competitor is going to want to get one back on someone," he told BBC Sport. "It wasn't a fight I was chasing but the fact I get the chance is just an added bonus and I think it's a great opportunity for me to do that for my younger self if nothing else." Clarke, 35, went on to enjoy a successful amateur career, fighting at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, while Billam-Smith had to wait until the professional ranks to flourish.

After entering the professional ranks in 2017, Billam-Smith, 36, won British and European titles before his crowning moment of becoming cruiserweight world champion in 2023. "It's a message really that it's not where you start, it's how you finish and I think that I get to prove the progress I've made