Chris Billam-Smith has built his career on coming through the toughest nights imaginable. Cheavon Clarke could give him another uncomfortable evening, particularly in the early rounds, as the cruiserweight battle headlines the Zuffa 12 show in the Copper Box Arena this Saturday November 7th.
There are easier ways to make a living than being Chris Billam-Smith.
The former WBO cruiserweight champion has rarely been one to take the easy route. His career has been built on gruelling encounters, uncomfortable nights and the sort of fights that demand as much from a fighter mentally as they do physically.
From his first bruising encounter with Richard Riakporhe, through the remarkable victory over Lawrence Okolie, the gruelling defence against Mateusz Masternak and the eventual revenge over Riakporhe, Billam-Smith has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to find something extra when the going gets tough.
Even in defeat against Gilberto Ramirez, he made the Mexican work for every second of their 12 round unification fight.
And then came Ryan Rozicki.
Their encounter in June was another reminder of what makes Billam-Smith such a fan favourite fighter. Rozicki came to fight, bringing relentless pressure and dangerous punching power, but Billam-Smith was prepared to meet him in the trenches. It was a brutal contest that has to be top of most fight of the year lists, with the Canadian eventually unable to continue after seven rounds.
Now comes another domestic challenge, and perhaps a more intriguing one given the history between the two men.
Cheavon Clarke has already beaten Billam-Smith twice in the amateur ranks, including the 2016 National Elite Championships final. Clarke will undoubtedly believe he has the tools to repeat the trick on the professional stage.
Clarke is no opponent to be taken lightly. A former top amateur with good athleticism, speed and power, he has shown that he can be dangerous when putting his combinations together. His comeback victory over Jack Massey in June was particularly eye-catching, recovering from two knockdowns in the fourth round before stopping Massey in the seventh.
That performance demonstrated both his own resilience and his ability to adjust when things are not going his way.
There is little doubt that Clarke will be dangerous early. He has the speed to trouble Billam-Smith, and his ability to put punches together could cause the former champion problems before he has settled into his rhythm.
He may have to come through some uncomfortable patches, particularly if Clarke starts quickly and makes use of his sharper movement and combinations.
But there is a feeling that the longer this fight goes, the more it will begin to favour the man from Bournemouth.
Billam-Smith is an experienced operator in these sorts of encounters. He understands how to manage the difficult moments, how to impose himself physically and, perhaps most importantly, how to keep working when other fighters might begin to fade.
Clarke has shown tremendous heart, but fighting Billam-Smith over the course of ten rounds is a different proposition to what he has faced before. The pressure, the physicality and the sustained work rate could become increasingly difficult to deal with as the contest progresses.
Billam-Smith is at his best when he can make an opponent work, take away their space and gradually force them into the sort of fight they would rather avoid. His ability to maintain pressure and keep coming has been a defining characteristic of his career.
Clarke will need to make the most of his early advantages. If he allows Billam-Smith to establish his rhythm and turn the contest into a physical contest up close, the momentum could swing decisively.
It may not be straightforward, and there could well be moments when Clarke makes the former champion question himself. But over the second half of the fight, Billam-Smith’s experience, strength and willingness to engage in a war should begin to tell.
Clarke is dangerous enough to make this a proper fight, but Billam-Smith has been through too many difficult nights to be fazed by a rough start.
Eventually, the pressure should tell and if there is one thing Billam-Smith has demonstrated throughout his career, it is that he is comfortable when a fight becomes difficult.
And that could what proves to be the difference on Saturday night with Chris Billam-Smith getting a late round stoppage.
Irish Boxing Digest will be at ringside in London.
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