Chev Clarke floors and stops former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith, handing him the first stoppage loss of his professional career.
Chev Clarke has produced a major upset. He knocked down and stopped former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith in a non-title fight, the first time Billam-Smith has been stopped as a professional.
The result has extra edge because Clarke has done it before. He beat Billam-Smith in their amateur days, and this win repeats that result on a much bigger stage. The old rivalry now has a second chapter, and Clarke wrote it.
Billam-Smith built his name as a world champion at cruiserweight, a division known for heavy hands and fine margins. Being put on the canvas and then stopped is a jarring setback for a fighter of his standing, even in a bout with no belt at stake.
For Clarke, the win is a statement. Beating a former world champion by stoppage puts him in the conversation at the top end of the division and gives him a big name on his record. For Billam-Smith, the next step is to regroup and decide how to respond to the first real dent in his pro résumé.
