Chris Billam-Smith vs Cheavon Clarke

There’s history here from their amateur days, but that won’t matter late in their pro careers. Clarke has quick hands and can hurt a man when he lets the right go. Getting off the floor to stop Jack Massey showed real grit. It also showed the opening Billam Smith will look for: Clarke can be caught while he’s setting himself to punch.

Billam Smith is comfortable making a fight uncomfortable. He’ll take a shot to get close, work Clarke’s body and make him defend for longer than he wants. His weakness is that he can be hit clean on the way in, and Clarke has the power to make that matter. But Billam Smith chose his counters well against Ryan Rozicki and kept working when the fight got hard.

I reckon Clarke has his best chances early, while he can set his feet and fire first. Once Billam Smith gets alongside him and keeps him working inside, I see Clarke losing the space to pick those shots. I’m taking Billam Smith by late stoppage.