Chris Billam-Smith vs. Chev Clarke: History and Stakes at Copper Box
The Copper Box Arena plays host on Saturday to a main event laced with history and a touch of unfinished business, as former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith meets Chev Clarke in a 10-round clash that feels far more personal than the posters suggest.
Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KOs) walks back into the spotlight as a man rebuilding. In June, he stopped Ryan Rozicki in the seventh round, a measured, authoritative performance that helped steady the ship after losing his WBO belt to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in a unification bout. That defeat, a unanimous decision, ended his reign from 2023 to 2024 and reminded him how unforgiving the top level can be.
Now he’s facing someone who beat him long before the lights and cameras arrived.
Clarke (12-2, 9 KOs) is no stranger to Billam-Smith. He holds two amateur wins over the Bournemouth man, including a victory in the final of the 2016 English national championships. Those results sit quietly in the background of the build-up, but both fighters know they’re there. One sees a chance to prove those days are gone. The other, an opportunity to show nothing has really changed.
Clarke enters off the back of a wild, character-defining win. In June, the 2024 Olympian climbed off the canvas twice in the fourth round against Jack Massey, then turned the fight on its head and forced a seventh-round stoppage. It was the kind of night that hardens a fighter. The kind that convinces a man he can walk through fire and still find a way to win.
Billam-Smith, the ex-champion with the polished résumé. Clarke, the Olympian with the old receipts. Ten rounds to find out whose story moves forward.
Bentley vs. Mosley Jr.: A Stripped Champion with a Point to Prove
The co-main event carries its own edge. Former WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs) faces Shane Mosley Jr. (23-5, 15 KOs) in a 10-round contest that arrives at a delicate moment in Bentley’s career.
Bentley was officially stripped of his WBO title last month after refusing to defend against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez. Titles can vanish with a ruling; reputations are harder to shift. He steps into the ring on Saturday not just to win, but to reassert his place in a division that moves on quickly from anyone standing still.
Across from him stands Mosley Jr., a man who has built his own record in the shadow of a famous name. He knows what a win in London over a recently dethroned champion would do for his standing. This is not a stay-busy fight for either man. It’s a career pivot.
Stacked Supporting Cast
Before the main event ring walks, the card offers a broad look at the next wave coming through.
Heavyweight Da’Mazion Vanhouter meets Ivan Balaz in a bout that should answer questions about who’s ready to push on and who’s still learning on the job. In the middleweight ranks, Sam Hickey takes on Troy Coleman, while at super lightweight Kayla Allen faces Julia Igel, a chance for Allen to make noise on a major stage.
Cruiserweight prospect Lucas Roehrig opens the main card against Connal McDonald, another chance for a young fighter to steal the show before the established names arrive.
Earlier in the day, the prelims set the tone. Light heavyweight Zach Parker faces Umar Dzambekov, a matchup that could have serious implications for the division’s near future. Vinnie Kemp meets Liam McElhinney at middleweight, and featherweight Masood Abdulah takes on Adan Palma, all looking to turn an undercard slot into a launchpad.
How to Watch and When It Starts
The prelims begin at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. GMT), available on Paramount+ in the U.S. and live on Uncrowned in the UK. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. GMT) on Paramount+ and Sky Sports, with Billam-Smith and Clarke expected to make their ring walks around 5 p.m. ET (10 p.m. GMT).
By then, the Copper Box will be loud, the lights will be sharp, and two old rivals will finally settle a score that started in the unpaid ranks. One man will leave London with momentum and a clear path back toward a world title. The other will walk away knowing the past still has a hold on the present.
