Cheavon Clarke hands Chris Billam-Smith first stoppage loss in stunning upset win over former world champion
Boxer Cheavon Clarke achieved a major upset by stopping former world champion Chris Billam-Smith in a professional bout at London's Copper Box Arena. Clarke secured the victory with a series of powerful hooks, marking the first stoppage loss of Billam-Smith's career.
Why it matters
This win significantly elevates Clarke's standing in the professional boxing division and serves as a career-defining moment.
Cheavon Clarke scored a stunning stoppage win over Chris Billam-Smith at the Copper Box Arena in London. <p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.
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