Cheavon Clarke hands Chris Billam-Smith first stoppage loss in stunning upset win over former world champion

Cheavon Clarke scored a stunning stoppage win over Chris Billam-Smith at the Copper Box Arena in London.

He not only knocked the former world champion down for the first time in Billam-Smith's career, he put him over twice and handed the Bournemouth star a first stoppage defeat.

Halted on the ropes, as Clarke's right hooks streaked in, Billam-Smith at once shook his head to protest as the referee waved it off.

Clarke, after a thrilling win over Jack Massey last time out, was looking for a big-name scalp that would launch him into the top class of the division. He got it.

Billam-Smith had been seeking to exact some personal vengeance too. Clarke had beaten him in a pivotal national amateur championship final 10 years ago. The Bournemouth man had subsequently converted himself from amateur nearly man to elite professional champion. But, a decade on, Clarke once again handed him a bitterly painful defeat.

They began the first round busily with frenetic work. Clarke, full of energy, winged shots over. His head swung in too wildly, but it was a right hand over the top that gave Billam-Smith pause for thought.

Clarke popped Billam-Smith with a left hook as the former champion charged after him. Rolling under a left hook, Clarke moved off. He snuck his right round Billam-Smith's guard. Billam-Smith swallowed another right but dug in an uppercut with his backhand.

A right flew in and Clarke grabbed him in a clinch. He then answered with a cracking right to the jaw himself. But Billam-Smith, renowned for his toughness, took it stolidly.

In the third round Clarke blasted an excellent right uppercut between Billam-Smith's elbows. He touched his chin with the left hook and reached Billam-Smith with a long cross.

Manoeuvring for position in a clinch, Clarke whipped his left hook over. Billam-Smith bulled into him in a physical, frenetic fight, finishing the fourth round swinging hooks.

Early in the fifth round Clarke went for Billam-Smith. They traded hard hits.

The clinching, a frequent feature of the fight, appeared to leave them both frustrated. Clarke popped in a clean jab, but Billam-Smith ground forward onto the front foot.

Billam-Smith hit out with thudding power in the sixth round. Clarke sighed out a breath and stepped back, briefly losing the shape of his boxing.

But in the seventh round it was stunning to see Clarke bomb Billam-Smith over with a right. The Bournemouth man struggled back to his feet and Clarke swarmed forward. As Billam-Smith tried to escape from the ropes, Clarke knocked him down again.

He attacked Billam-Smith once more on the ropes. Billam-Smith's leg stuttered, but he had his feet under him when referee Lee Every moved in to end it.

'I'd love to run it back'

"I'm fine. It was a good shot. He buzzed me, obviously," Billam-Smith said afterwards. "It was a great shot. I made a mistake, but I felt like I was winning the fight.

"Fair play to Chev. We've had three fights now and he's got them all. I'd love to run it back and get him eventually."

Clarke beamed: "Underdog to who? Not us!

"I don't care about a label. I'm Chev Clarke and that's all that matters."

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Cheavon Clarke hands Chris Billam-Smith first stoppage loss in stunning upset win over former world champion