BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – (May 26th, 2023) – Tomorrow night’s world cruiserweight championship bout in Bournemouth is official as hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith made weight alongside WBO cruiserweight champion – and former training partner – Lawrence Okolie on the waterfront today.

Airing live and exclusively on Sky Sports, the event is the biggest boxing event in South Coast history and pits two former teammates against each other in a domestic world title showdown which has sold out the Vitality Stadium, home of Premiership football team AFC Bournemouth.

The televised card begins at 7pm, preceded by a live stream beginning at 5pm on the Sky Sports Boxing official YouTube page.

Final quotes from the main event fighters and televised card participants are below, along with today’s official weigh-in results.

LAWRENCE OKOLIE, WBO World Cruiserweight Champion 

“I’m just going to enjoy myself. It’s all good, it’s all fine. It’ll be business and I’lll do what I always do and get the ‘W’. I’m always going to go for an early stoppage.”

CHRIS BILLAM SMITH, Challenger

“A huge thank you to all for coming out, the weight’s made, the job’s to do tomorrow night. Now it’s very much focusing on the job at hand. I’m zoned in. I’ve prepared for Lawrence. I’ve prepared for Lawrence very well.”

Lawrence Okolie: 14st 3 lbs 

Chris Billam-Smith: 14st 3 lbs

Sam Eggington: 10st 13 lbs

Joe Pigford: 10st 13 lbs

Kariss Artingstall: 8st 13 lbs

Jade Taylor: 9st 2 lbs 

Lee Cutler: 10st 13 lbs

Stanley Stannard: 10st 13 lbs

Michael McKinson: 10st 8lbs

Lebin Morales: 10st 6lbs

Isaac Chamberlain: 14 st 3 lbs

Daniel Bocianksi: 14st

Mace Ruegg:  9st 10 lbs 

Dean Dodge: 9st 10 lbs

Lewis Edmonson: 12st 13 lbs 

Petar Nosic: 12st 13 lbs

Tommy Welch: 15st 12 lbs

Amine Boucetta: 16 st

Alireza Ghadiri: 9st 1 lb 

Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira: 9st 4 lbs

Former teammates turned world title rivals Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith faced off in Bournemouth today ahead of this Saturday’s WBO World Cruiserweight Championship showdown at the Vitality Stadium, home of Bournemouth boy Billam-Smith’s beloved AFC Bournemouth.

A crowd of 15,000 fans – the largest-ever attendance for a non-football event at the Vitality Stadium – is expected on Saturday night when the two face off for Okolie’s belt, live and exclusively on Sky Sports, as BOXXER’s promoter Ben Shalom brings the biggest boxing event in South Coast history to Bournemouth.

<CLICK HERE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD PHOTOS> 

Credit to BOXXER / Lawrence Lustig

Below are some final comments from the main event fighters.

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LAWRENCE OKOLIE, WBO World Cruiserweight Champion

“I’m coming to make an extremely big statement. I’m my own man on my own journey and there’s stuff that I want and need and I’m ready to fight for it.”

“I’ve shown time and time again I’m ready to take the risk and do what needs to be done. I can say I’m in amazing shape and I’m coming to do a job.”

“The way Chris fights, he’s always all action. He comes to throw a lot of punches, put a lot of pressure on where he’s the home fighter, he’s going to have 15,000 people screaming for him, hoping that he can dethrone me. So I’m going to have to be devastating and he’s going to make it very easy for me.”

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH, Challenger

“Lawrence is obviously a very big one-punch puncher, but if you look at my last fight it shows that I can punch.

“He might think this is just me saying it. But he’s also not used to getting hit so it’s almost like a double effect. Once you get hit and you know how to deal with that, panic doesn’t set in. I think for him panic will set in on Saturday night.

“Any fight against Lawrence is dangerous because he can punch and he’s got long levers so you have to take educated risks and you’ve got to really work hard to get the shots off you need to do. That’s what we’ve been doing the whole time.”

“I don’t expect him to stand there and trade with me. He knows he can’t do that. I imagine he’s going to be trying to keep it long and move his feet. The hard thing with Lawrence is getting in position. So we know what we’ve got to do.”

“I’ve got to stay concentrated. It’s not just going in there, just going hell for leather. That’s not how this game works at the top level. It’s got to be concentration the whole time and focus. That’s how the job will get done.”

“It’s got all the ingredients to be a really special night. Everything from it being two Brits for a world title, for me being in the stadium. But also being old gym-mates, old trainer etc. There’s a real story to it for me and I just thrive off of that and let that fuel me,” he said.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – (May 12, 2023) – Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium will host the largest non-football audience in its history on Saturday, May 27th when 15,000 fans will pack the venue to witness hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith (17-1-0, 12 KOs) challenge former team mate Lawrence Okolie (19-0, 14 KOs) for the cruiserweight championship of the world. 

The ground usually hosts 11,300 seated fans for the Premiership football games of AFC Bournemouth, but BOXXER has received licensing permission from Bournemouth authorities to expand seating provision for Billam-Smith’s title tilt, the biggest boxing event ever to take place in the south coast region.

And it’s not only the fans who benefit – in addition to allowing thousands more people to experience this landmark event in person, the expanded seating allocation will also create extra funding for local charities set to receive a portion of the profits from this event.

Bournemouth-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Joseph Ashford Ellis – BOXXER’s local partner in the region – has been a driving force and key player in bringing BOXXER events to Bournemouth, hoping it will provide inspiration for local youngsters to channel their time and energy into sport “instead of just hanging around on the streets”.

A key partner in the May 27th event, Joseph has vowed to donate his proportion of profits from the event to two local charities an amateur boxing club and a charity which works with Bournemouth’s street-homeless population. (In 2022, determined to bring BOXXER to Bournemouth, he assumed massive financial risk to himself by personally underwriting the cost of every ticket for the first event.)

On May 27th he will once again be ringside as the evening’s event plays out, paying particular attention to the boxers from his management stable who are competing on the card, including Southampton’s Joe Pigford, Bournemouths very own Lee Cutler and the Portsmouth talent Mikey McKinson.

“Bournemouth is my home town. It’s where all my children have been born and raised, I genuinely love the town, I love the people and I wanted the chance to do something for the community here. I strongly believe in sport as a pathway to a better life for young people and I hope that this event – and the two prior BOXXER events in Bournemouth – have shown what it’s possible to achieve when you are on the right path,” said Ashford-Ellis.

“This event is a landmark moment for Bournemouth but for me it’s about the chance to give something back. I’m excited to see the sold-out atmosphere in the Vitality Stadium on fight night but I’m also looking forward even more to the moment when I take my share of the event revenue and hand it over to these vital community projects. That’s going to be a very proud moment for me, another tick off my bucket list and I’m just delighted to be able to give something back.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER Founder and CEO, “Bournemouth has turned out to be a sleeping giant of the British boxing scene. Our visit absolutely blew us away, the crowd was unbelievable and to this day it’s an event BOXXER staff still talk about. The atmospheres at both our Bournemouth events have been indescribable and I really cannot wait to see what level things go to when the main event fighters are walking out at the Vitality Stadium on May 27th. 

“We are unbelievably fortunate to have Joe Ashford-Ellis as our partner in Bournemouth. He was so passionate about bringing us here and he’s moved heaven and earth to make these events happen, motivated by his desire to do something for the young people here. That motivation gives him limitless energy and we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better partner as we prepare to stage the biggest non-football sports event in Bournemouth history.”

This event will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Village Hotels and Who Dares Gyms.

The card for BOXXER: OKOLIE vs BILLAM-SMITH is as follows:

12 x 3 mins WBO World Cruiserweight Championship

Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith

12 x 3 mins British Cruiserweight Championship

Mikael Lawal vs Isaac Chamberlain

8/10 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight Contest

Sam Eggington vs Joe Pigford

10 x 3 mins English Super-Welterweight Championship Eliminator

Lee Cutler vs Stanley Stannard

6/8 x 2 mins Lightweight Contest

Karriss Artingstall vs Jade Taylor

6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight Contest 

Mace Ruegg vs Dean Dodge

6 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight Contest

Lewis Edmondson vs Vladimir Belujski

6 x 3 mins Heavyweight Contest

Tommy Welch vs TBA

6 x 3 mins Welterweight Contest

Michael McKinson vs TBA

London, England – (April 4th, 2023) – A seismic showdown on the south coast seafront is set for Saturday, May 27, when cruiserweight rivals Lawrence ‘The Sauce’ Okolie (19-0, 14 KO’s) and Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith (17-1, 12 KO’s) will square off in a world championship title clash, live and exclusively in the UK & Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports.

The biggest boxing event ever to take place on the south coast will be staged in Bournemouth’s biggest venue: the Vitality Stadium, home to Billam-Smith’s beloved Premier League football team, AFC Bournemouth.

A press conference was staged at the historic Landmark Hotel in London on Tuesday, April 4 to formally announce the event, with both fighters then due to attend the Vitality Stadium later in the evening to stage their first face-off on the pitch at half time during AFC Bournemouth’s home clash against rivals Brighton. 

Londoner Okolie has held the WBO World Cruiserweight Championship since his March 2021 stoppage win over Krzysztof G?owacki. Since then he has made three successful defences – most recently handing New Zealand champion David Light the first loss of his professional career in last month’s Manchester encounter.

During his reign, Okolie has watched as a band of bonafide cruiserweight contenders has emerged, all of whom are signed to the BOXXER stable and compete exclusively on Sky Sports: Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith and London’s Richard Riakporhe and Mikael Lawal are all homegrown talents who have their eyes on his crown. 

Training under Shane McGuigan – several times ‘Boxing Trainer of the Year’ among numerous sports publications – Billam-Smith has climbed the ranks steadily, winning first the Commonwealth Cruiserweight Championship and then the European Cruiserweight Championship to build a solid platform for this world title shot.

And his army of fans now extends well outside of his beloved Bournemouth thanks to his all-action fighting style: his clash with Isaac Chamberlain in July last year was hailed as a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender at the British Boxing Board of Control Annual Awards and became an instant classic for fight fans across the country and around the world.

But Billam-Smith, who has fought in front of two sold-out crowds already in Bournemouth, will need more than sheer force to take the world title from Okolie, one of the most scientific boxers the cruiserweight division has ever seen. Okolie’s precise, measured fighting style and watertight defence has kept him undefeated – and the belt around his waist.

“I’m pumped, I’m ready to go. I’ve just come off a successful defence where I won all 12 rounds against an unknown but tough competitor, a national champion in his homeland. Now weeks later I am going in against a known tough boxer, the highly-ranked former European champion and current Commonwealth champion Chris Billam-Smith,” said Okolie. 

“Not many fighters make back to back defences in such a short space of time. Not many pick the hardest fights available to them, but that’s what I’m about. Chris – I love you, but I have to get the KO in this one.”

Billam-Smith commented, “Fighting someone I know well for a world title is a very exciting opportunity. I’m elated to be fighting at the home of my beloved AFC Bournemouth in front of my phenomenal fans and on May 27th I will repay them by winning a world title.”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that this is going to be one of the best events of the year. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket for the previous Bournemouth events, you’ll know the fans and the atmosphere are off the charts.

“For Chris Billam-Smith this is a dream come true. To fight for the world title in his hometown, in his football team’s stadium, in front of a sold-out crowd cheering him on…it’s the stuff dreams are made of.

“But Lawrence Okolie is a fighting champion. He had no hesitation in taking the fight in Bournemouth. He’s ice cold. He is undefeated. And he’s certainly not bothered about the crowd being against him. In fact that just sweetens the deal for him.

“With a stacked card, this will be the event to kick-off an incredible summer for British boxing.”

Lawal (17-0, 11 KO’s) and Chamberlain (14-2, 8 KO’s) are also confirmed for the May 27th card, with British champion Lawal defending his title in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter. 

Chamberlain’s previous ‘Fight of the Year’ visit to Bournemouth has endeared him to local fans and may make him an honorary local fighter for this title fight against the undefeated Lawal.

Pre-register for tickets now at BOXXER.com.

This event is presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

LONDON, England – Wednesday, March 22 – BOXXER, the next generation boxing promotion, will warm up British boxing fans before the summer with three sizzling shows, stacked with some of the UK’s leading prize fighters – including its first-ever stadium show on home soil.

The headline news begins with BOXXER’s first-ever UK stadium show on Bank Holiday Weekend in May, as BOXXER heads back to Bournemouth for another blistering battle on the beach on Saturday, May 27, headlined by hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith (17-1, 12 KO’s). 

It takes place at the 15,000-capacity Vitality Stadium – home of Premier League football team AFC Bournemouth. An opponent for diehard Cherries supporter Billam-Smith will be revealed next Monday at a press conference in London (details to media will follow this week) in a main event that promises to be one of the fights of the year. 

“I think it will be an amazing event and an amazing show. To become number one in my division by winning at my team’s ground would be a dream. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. There’s been a lot of special moments there. Hopefully I can create another one,” said Billam-Smith.

And domestic cruiserweight quality will occupy the chief support slot on the South Coast with Mikael Lawal (17-0, 11 KO’s) making his first defence of the British Cruiserweight Championship he won by stopping David Jamieson in November.

Standing opposite him will be Isaac Chamberlain (14-2, 8 KO’s), making his second trip to Bournemouth following his unsuccessful attempt to take the Commonwealth and European cruiserweight belts from Billam-Smith in July last year.

Further fights will be announced in due course, along with ticket news for fight fans.

BOXXER’s terrific trio of electrifying events kicks off with ‘Crowning Glory’ on Saturday, May 6th at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham when newly-announced BOXXER signing Joshua Buatsi (16-0, 13 KO’s) makes his eagerly-anticipated promotional debut. 

On the day King Charles III is coronated, the former British light-heavyweight champion – who is ranked No.1 in the world by the WBA – faces Pawel Stepien (18-0-1, 12 KO’s) in the headline bout and looks to end his Polish rival’s undefeated record in emphatic fashion as he kicks off his conquest for a world title.

In big news, generational prodigy Ben Whittaker (2-0, 1 KO’s) will make his long-awaited return to the ring in home city of Birmingham.The enigmatic 2020 Olympic silver medallist has already captured fans’ hearts and imaginations with his stunning skills, entertaining showboating style and inhuman reflexes – and he’ll be looking to come back with a bang for what will be his third professional outing.

BOXXER’s first visit to the UK’s second city will also feature Birmingham man Tyler Denny (16-2-3) defending his English middleweight championship in his home city. Denny won the belt in Coventry in June last year and will be making his third defence in this May bout with an opponent to be confirmed.

And Team GB golden girl Lauren Price MBE (3-0, 1 KO) – the nation’s most decorated amateur fighter of all-time – will return, fresh from her impressive victory away from home in Paris where she outclassed Naomi Mannes.

On Saturday, June 10 we head to London where new school meets old school as the incredible Adam Azim (8-0, 6 KOs) competes at the historic York Hall which holds a special place in British boxing folklore.

Azim, 20, has been heralded as a future world champion and last month overcame Santos Reyes at Wembley’s OVO Arena to extend his incredible, unbeaten start to life as a professional fighter.

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom, said: “We are excited to announce phase one of what is a huge schedule coming up for BOXXER and Sky Sports.

“It’s amazing to see new headliners get to the top, new marquee signings start with us and the return of fighters from injury. It really is going to be a groundbreaking few months with career-defining fights and huge nights.

“A special thanks to Joe Ashford-Ellis and AFC Bournemouth for making everything possible for us to stage our first-ever UK stadium show – and a first for the Premier League club too.”

For further details on tickets and event news, head to BOXXER.com

These events will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

Bournemouth, England – 30th July 2022 – An electrified Bournemouth crowd cheered their hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith to victory in a brutal twelve-round war with Isaac Chamberlain for European and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Championships. 

All three judges scored the contest 117-111 in favour of Chris Billam-Smith, giving him the unanimous decision victory in one of the most intense contests fought on British soil in recent years.

Both men threw hell for leather from the first bell to the last, with the second round especially action packed, both men inflicting visible damage on the other across the three minutes. Alternating between long-range bombs and close-range firefights, neither man willingly took a backwards step from start to finish.

The fight looked likely to end at any given moment, with advantage passing back and forth and one fighter dominating only to see the other come surging back. Isaac Chamberlain also managed to consistently find openings in Billam-Smith’s defense and looked the more energetic fighter of the pair in the Championship rounds.

Chris Billam-Smith has now more than earned his place at the top of the domestic Cruiserweight division and put himself into world title contention. He looks set for even greater glory in the years to come, and he can now confidently claim to have the whole of Bournemouth behind him.

Results

Joe Pigford bt Raphael King TKO Rd 3 – 1:49

Knockout artist Joe Pigford claimed another ferocious stoppage victory after overwhelming a skilled and powerful opponent in Raphael King.

Pigford landed a crunching bodyshot that forced his opponent to seize up, and then bullied him into the corner of the ring, and continued to batter his body while also mixing in some shots to the head, forcing the referee to end the fight and giving Pigford the 19th stoppage victory of his flawless 20 fight career.

This fight was an eliminator for the Commonwealth Championship and should stand Pigford in good stead to get the big fights he’s been craving for years.

Ben Whittaker bt Greg O’Neill KO Rd 2 – 0:21

‘The Surgeon’ Ben Whittaker delivered a stunning performance in one of the most highly anticipated professional debuts in British boxing history.

The Olympic Silver Medalist landed a perfect right hook to the temple in the second round that left O’Neill out cold on the ring floor. The first round was fiery as both men had moments of frustration in the clinch, while Whittaker sprinkled in some showboating as well.

Whittaker looked set for superstardom as a professional before this fight, and this scintillating knockout has only made this seem even more certain.

Frazer Clarke bt Ariel Esteban Bracamonte KO Rd 2 – 2:57

A brutal left hook sent Bracamonte tumbling to the canvas and granted Frazer Clarke victory, maintaining his 100% finish rate, right at the death of the second round of their fight.

Clarke was landing forceful punches throughout the two rounds of the fight, but Bracamonte took them well, and did fire back with jabs and straight rights towards Clarke at times.

Clarke showed impressive intelligence to set up the fight-ending left hook by throwing them to the body throughout the fight, then suddenly switching to the head, and landing perfectly as a result. Clarke came into this fight after some time out of the ring for surgery to his right hand, and will be keen to keep active from now.

Hassan Azim bt Jacob Quinn PTS – 59-55

The Hitman Adam Azim won every round but one on the referee’s scorecard in an impressive victory that took him to 4-0 in his young professional career. Azim came out at a blistering pace and scored a knockdown 14 seconds into the first round before throwing everything he had at Quinn, who somehow survived the first round’s onslaught.

The fight slowed into a more methodical pace from then on, with Azim handling Quinn’s evasive style effectively and peppering his body from short and long range across the five remaining rounds. Hassan Azim remains one of the most exciting prospects in British boxing and will have learned a huge amount from these six rounds.

Caroline Dubois bt Happy Daudi TKO Rd 3 – 0:46

Young Olympian Caroline Dubois took her record to 3-0 with a savage performance over an experienced opponent in Happy Daudi. Dubois was landing with barrages of shots from both hands across the three rounds of the fight, with Daudi showing great heart not to be stopped, despite being knocked down in the second round.

Dubois finally overwhelmed Daudi’s defenses in the third round and forced the referee to step in and end the fight. Caroline Dubois looks set to become one of the biggest stars in women’s boxing at only 21 years old.

Lee Cutler bt Meshack Mwankemwa PTS 6/6 – 58-56

Lee Cutler took a solid decision victory on the referee’s scorecard in an exciting fight in front of a vocal hometown crowd. Cutler boxed smartly in the first round, picking his opportunities to throw powerful hooks and do damage to his opponent well, and range-finding with his jab smartly.

The Bournemouth native picked up the pace in the second round, consistently landing powerful shots to the head and body. Cutler continued to find success in the third and fourth rounds, despite Mwankemwa showing tremendous heart and tenacity to keep coming forward and battle with Cutler.

The final two rounds of fight continued in a similar fashion, with both men landing shots, and Mwankemwa advancing, but Cutler consistently doing more damage, and being more successful on his way to victory.

Mikael Lawal bt Crispulo Javier Andino KO Rd 2 – 1:25

Mikael Lawal walked away with another stoppage victory on his undefeated record tonight after a deadly left hook to the body caused Javier Andino to slowly crumple to his knees and not stand up again until after the referee’s 10-count.

This came after a measured round and a half of jabbing and range finding from Lawal where he showed strong boxing intelligence. Lawal is now keen to take on Deion Jumah in a fight that’s been ordered to be for the British title.

Stevie McKenna bt Facundo Alberto Rojas KO Rd 2 – 2:59

Exciting welterweight Stevie ‘Hitman’ McKenna made a huge statement with a devastating 2nd round stoppage of a tough opponent that had never been stopped in his career before this fight. McKenna scored a knockdown in the 1st round after a thudding left hook to the body, and wore Rojas down across the second round, forcing the referee to wave the fight off after the Argentinian was able to return to his feet from another knockdown late in the round.

Bournemouth, England – (30th June 2022) – The huge domestic clash between Chris Billam-Smith and Isaac Chamberlain at the Bournemouth International Centre on 30th July will headline a card featuring two 2020 Olympic Games medalists, one of the most explosive finishers in British boxing and a rising star tipped as a future great.

Ben ‘B£NZO’ Whittaker, who won silver at the latest Olympics and is now crossing over into the professional ranks with a stated intention of becoming the greatest British boxer of all time, will launch his professional career against solid opposition in the experienced County Durham fighter Greg ‘The Real Deal’ O’Neill (6-6-1, 1 KO).

Testament to Whittaker’s confidence in himself, he has elected to make his professional debut in a six-round fight, skipping the traditional four-round entry level. Coached by SugarHill Steward, who also trains Tyson Fury, the big-hitting Midlander is lauded as one of the most exciting prospects in the world.

Fellow medalist Frazer Clarke (1-0, 1 KO), who captained Team GB at the 2020 Olympics and won a bronze medal, returns to the ring for his second professional outing following his stunning first-round stoppage win on the undercard of Khan vs Brook in February.

The Burton-based ‘Big Fraze’ heads to Bournemouth in search of a second similarly emphatic finish, as he takes the next step of his journey towards conquering the domestic heavyweight scene.

Southampton KO sensation Joe Pigford (19-0, 18 KO’s) makes the short journey on the M27 to Bournemouth with his fanatical fans. He’s looking to put on another devastating performance, before returning home with his first championship title in his bag.

Thunderous puncher Pigford holds a 95% KO ratio and is on an unbroken 16-KO run. In Bournemouth he will challenge for the Vacant WBO European Super-Welterweight Championship and will take a huge step closer to world title contention if he wins.

Hard-hitting Scottish prospect John Docherty (12-1, 9 KOs) looks to make a big statement against the undefeated Manchester-based Brazilian puncher Diego Costa (8-0, 5 KOs) in an exciting shoot out that is sure to deliver drama.

Another 2020 Team GB Olympian in Caroline Dubois (2-0, 1 KO) continues on her career following her powerful first round stoppage of Martina Horgasz last time out and faces experienced Tanzanian Happy Daudi over six rounds.

Undefeated cruiserweight puncher Mikael Lawal (15-0, 9 KOs) looks for his sixteenth career win and possible tenth stoppage as he continues a journey which has taken him from homeless teenage gang member to the top tier of the British cruiserweight rankings.

One half of boxing’s hottest sibling talents, Hassan Azim (3-0, 2 KOs), will also look to extend his unbeaten record. After watching younger brother Adam capture his first championship title last week in Coventry with a blistering first-round stoppage, welterweight Hassan will be looking to display his own awesome firepower, following on from his own first-round KO win in March.

Completing the card is another hugely popular all-action Bournemouth fighter, Lee Cutler (10-1, 7 KOs). He has ended his last three fights inside two rounds, with his most recent victory winning him the Southern Area Super-Welterweight title.

Be first in line and get priority access to exclusive discounted tickets – join the waiting list at Boxxer.com

BOXXER: Billam-Smith vs Chamberlain, headlines a stellar card presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels; with special thanks to K4 Global.

Conor Benn remained undefeated with an explosive second round stoppage over Chris Van Heerden in a scheduled 12-round welterweight bout at The Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Benn came out in a seek-and-destroy mode in the Mike Tyson posture as he loaded with hard power shots. In round two, he hit his mark as he buckled Van Heerden with a hard right hand for which he followed up with a hard uppercuts and three chopping rights later Van Heerden was down and out at 59 seconds.

Benn, 146 lbs of Essex, ENG is now 21-0 with 14 knockouts. Van Heerden, 145 lbs of Santa Monica, CA via South Africa is 28-3-1-1.

Billiam-Smith Stops McCarthy in 8 in rematch

Chris Billiam-Smith made it two victories over Tommy McCarthy by registering an eighth-round stoppage in a cruiserweight fight.

In round six, Billam-Smith began to bleed over his left eye.

In round eight, Billiam Smith landed a hard right that was followed up by a left on the ropes that shook McCarthy. That was followed by a booming right to the side of the head that put McCarthy down for the count at 1:20.

Billiam-Smith, 199 lbs of Bournesmouth, ENG is now 15-1 with 11 knockouts. McCarthy, 199 lbs of Belfast, NI is now 18-4.

This was a rematch of Billiam-Smith’s split decision on July 31, 2021.

Campbell Hatton Decisions Gregores

Campbell Hatton remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Ezequiel Gregores in a junior welterweight fight.

Hatton, 136 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 7-0. Gregores, 139 lbs of Spain is 3-10.

Alycia Baumgardner Decisions Matthysse; Defends Jr. Lightweight Title

Alycia Baumgardner made the first the defense of the WBC/IBO Junior Lightweight world titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Soledad Matthysse.

Baumgardner landed 113 of 315 punches; Matthysse just 38 of 260.

Baumgardner, 129 lbs of Detroit, MI won by shutout scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 12-1. Matthysse, 133 lbs of Argentina is 17-12-1.

Jack Cullen Decisions Belujsky

Jack Cullen won an eight-round decision over Vladimir Belujsky in a light heavyweight bout.

Cullen, 171 lbs of Little Leaver, ENG won by a 80-72 score and is now 21-3-1.Belujsky, 172 lbs of Mitchlestown, IRE is 12-4-1.

Jordan Thompson stopped Mariano Angel Gudino in round two of their eight-round cruiserweight fight.

Thompson dropped Gudino with a hard right uppercut and the fight was stopped as Gudino was in no condition to continue at 47 seconds.

Thompson, 195 lbs of Manchester, ENG is 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Gudino, 199 lbs of Cordoba, ARG is now 14-6.

Thomas Whittaker Hart remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Ben Ridings in a light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Ridings was cut over his right eye.

Whittaker Hart, 175 lbs of Liverpool, ENG won by 78-74 score and is now 7-0. Ridings, 174 lbs of Bery, ENG is 5-2.

Kiko Martinez became a two-weight world champion as he won the IBF Featherweight champion as he scored a shocking 6th round knockout of defending champion Kid Galahad at The Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England

In round three, Martinez started to bleed over his right eye. In round five, Martinez dropped Galahad with a big overhand right. Martinez landed the first punch of round six just seconds into the stanza on the face of Galahad, who fell straight on his back and the fight was over at six seconds.

Martinez, 125.3 lbs of Alicante, SPA is 43-10-2 with 30 knockouts. Galahad, 125.5 lbs of Sheffield, ENG is 28-2.

Baumgardner Stops Harper in 4; Wins WBC Super Featherweight Title

Alycia Baumgardner scored a sensation 4th round stoppage over Terri Harper to win the WBC Super Featherweight championship.

In round four, Baumgardner landed a perfect over hand right that froze the reigning champ on her feet. The fight was stopped just as Baumgardner landed a left hook at 23 seconds.

Baumgardner, 129.5 lbs of Detroit, MI is 11-1 with seven knockouts. Harper, 129.4 lbs of Denby Main, ENG is 11-1-1.

Billiam-Smith Decisions Bregeon

Chris Billam-Smith retained his European Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Dylan Bregeon.

Billiams-Smith, 199.2 lbs of Bournemouth, ENG won by scores of 120-109 and 119-109 twice and is now 14-1. Bregeon, 197.5 lbs of Nantes, FRA is 11-2-1.

In round four, Bregeon was cut around his right ear.

Dixon Decisions McCrory

Donte Dixon remained undefeated with a eight-round decision over Jordan McCrory in a super featherweight contest.

In round six, Dixon dropped McCrory with a body shot. Later in the round, McCrory was deducted a point for holding.

Dixon, 126.1 lbs of Sheffield, ENG won by an 80-71 tally and is now 6-0. McCrory, 131.3 lbs of Cambusling, SCO is `19-8-1.

Hunt Decisions Flint

Dom Hunt won a 10-round decision over James Flint in a battle of undefeated welterweights.

Hunt, 145.2 lbs of Wakefield, ENG won by a 98-93 score and is now 8-0. Flint, 145.5 lbs of Doncaster, ENG is 9-1-1.

Chris Billam-Smith takes another step towards world level this Saturday November 13 when he makes the maiden defence of his EBU European Cruiserweight Title against Frenchman Dylan Bregeon at the Utilita Arena Sheffield, live worldwide on DAZN. 

‘The Gentleman’ (13-1, 10 KOs) withstood a late fightback from Tommy McCarthy to edge out a narrow split points decision to add the British and European Cruiserweight Titles to his Commonwealth Title in an epic battle at the Matchroom HQ in July.

The Bournemouth favourite is making great progress under coach Shane McGuigan, who he has trained with since turning pro in September 2017, and believes that he will be knocking on the door for a World Title opportunity in 2022.

“Tommy McCarthy definitely surprised me,” admitted Billam-Smith. “He’s a lot more elusive than I thought he would be. He was hard to nail clean. I thought I’d be able to nail him cleaner, but I didn’t really catch him that clean throughout the fight, even in the fifth or sixth round when I had him hurt a bit he was still very elusive and tricky. He was always coming back with shots. Respect to Tommy. Everything that was said in the build-up was squashed straight after the fight. 

“I’m hungrier now more than ever. I know it’s a bit of a cliché statement but I really am. I’m doing a lot more in the gym now. I’m trying to perfect the little things even more so than before. Sometimes I guess I was just getting through sessions but now I’m much more meticulous in my training. I’m putting more hours and rounds in. I’m spending more time in the gym and that might be because I’m settled up here now around the corner in Stratford. The future is exciting for me and I’m just really pushing on towards that world level. 

“When you get announced as a defending champion – current British, Commonwealth and European – that will be a nice moment for me. I try and appreciate those moments as much as I can. You sort of can’t really do that in the moment. You watch it back on TV and then you can appreciate it a bit more because you’re switched on in the moment. It’s a nice feeling to hear those words.”

Billam-Smith vs. McCarthy is part of a big night of action in Sheffield, Kid Galahad (28-1, 17 KOs) makes the maiden defence of his IBF Featherweight World Title against former World Champion Kiko Martinez (42-10-2, 29 KOs), WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight ruler Terri Harper (11-0-1, 6 KOs) returns to put her belts on the line against the USA’s Alycia Baumgardner (10-1, 6 KOs), Donte Dixon (5-0, 3 KO) squares off with Jordan McCorry (19-7-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round Super-Featherweight contest, James Flint (9-0-1, 2 KOs) battles DomHunt (7-0, 1 KO) for the vacant Central Area Welterweight Title, plus there’s action for Harper’s sparring partner Raven Chapman (1-0, 1 KO), Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Khalid Ayub (1-0), Oldham Bantamweight debutant William Cawley and Kings Lynn Featherweight Stevi Levy (4-0).

Tommy McCarthy has signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing and will face Chris Billam-Smith in a huge showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles at Fight Camp this summer. 
 
The big-punching Belfast native captured the vacant EBU crown after a hard-fought majority decision victory over Bilal Laggoune at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October before knocking out Romania’s Alexandru Jur in six rounds in his first defence at the AO Arena, Manchester over the weekend. 
 
‘Mac Attack’ (18-2, 9 KOs), who is trained by Peter Taylor and managed by Mark Dunlop, has previously held the WBC International Title and boats a top ten ranking in the WBC, IBF and WBA.
 
The 30-year-old is targeting World Title action once he gets past Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith in Essex and hopes to headline The SSE Arena, Belfast – where he has fought on Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett undercards –  alongside stablemate James Tennyson.
 
“It’s the dream for every boxer,” said McCarthy. “Matchroom is the leading promotional outfit in world boxing so to finally be an official member of the team is brilliant for my career. Chris Billam-Smith is the last hurdle I have to jump over to get a shot at my ultimate goal which is the become a World Champion. I’ve got no problem fight him – he’s easy work. 
 
“After I beat Billam-Smith I would like to fight for a version of the Cruiserweight World Title – one of the four major Titles. I’m ranked top ten in the WBC, IBF and WBA, and the WBO Champion Lawrence Okolie is signed with Matchroom. The Okolie fight will obviously be the easiest one to make now that we’re both signed to Matchroom, but I’d like to fight for any of them – I’m not fussed which one. 
 
“Getting Matchroom back over to Belfast would mean the world to me. Going into my last fight, all of the boxing fans in Belfast were putting their hopes on me to bring big time boxing back to the city. Now that I’m with Matchroom, I’ve got the right team around me to bring the big nights back.”
 
“I’m delighted to officially welcome Tommy to the Matchroom team,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Tommy took the risk to travel to Italy against Turchi and followed it up by winning the European Title and successfully defending it on Saturday. Now we’ve made a cracker between Tommy and Chris Billam-Smith for Fight Camp and the winner is going to be perfectly placed to go on and challenge for a World Title.”
 
“I am delighted that Tommy has been rewarded by Eddie and Frank with this amazing promotional agreement for this loyalty and bravery over the past three years,” said McCarthy’s manager Mark Dunlop. “He now joins stablemate James Tennyson in the most amazing and powerful promotional company in the world and looks forward to bringing big time boxing back to Belfast.”
 
You can follow McCarthy’s journey on Twitter: @TommyMac90 and Instagram: tommymac90
 

Lawrence Okolie scored a 6th round stoppage over former world champion Krzystof Glowacki to win the WBO World Cruiserweight championship at the SSE Arena in London, England.

In round five, Glowacki started to bleed over his right eye. In round six, Okolie landed a stabbing right to the body that sent Glowacki on his back. He got up but the fight was stopped.

Okolie, 199.6 lbs of Hackney, England is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Glowacki, 195 lbs of Walcz, POL is 31-3.

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” said Okolie. “It’s nice hearing you say it. I’m happy. For me, it’s more of a relief. The potential has been there for over a year. I’m happy to get the victory. Now and forever, I’ll be a World Champion.

“I was just really focused on putting on a good performance. I’m physically very strong and punch hard. I’m very fit, so I can win on just those attributes at a certain level. I really focused on not rushing any shots because he’s very dangerous with counter shots and he’s very heavy-handed. His jabs were very solid, so I had to be very meticulous in keeping the distance. It was a good clean performance.

“All of the British former World Champions wishing me good fortune really touched me – shout out to them. From every run that I ever did, losing all of that weight, deciding to take a risk, having my parents support me financially when I couldn’t afford to get the bus down to the gym for training. To see it all pay off with a World Title is a dream come true – never give up. We can just go on from here. I need to keep pushing myself to prove myself as the best.”

Cordina Decisions Kourbanov

Joe Cordina remained undefeated by winning a 10-round majority decision over Faroukh Kourbanov in a junior lightweight bout.

Cordina, 132,4 lbs of Cardiff, Wales won by scores of 98-93, 96-95 and 96-96 and he is now 12-0. Kaourbanov, 130.5 lbs of Liege, BEL is 17-3.

“I didn’t think it was close at all,” said Cordina. “I think he nicked one or two rounds, maybe three. I was comfortable and I didn’t really get out of second gear. I let him work a couple of times throughout the rounds, maybe I shouldn’t have. I got a good valuable ten rounds out of that and it’s something to build on. I’ll put on a better performance in my next fight.

“It wasn’t about just going out there and trying to blow him out of there. We knew he was tough, that’s why we chose him. Both of his losses before me were to European Champions. He’s gone the distance a lot of times, we knew he was durable. We got the rounds under our belt and I felt I hurt him a couple of times. He was cute at times.

“I had 16 months out of the ring. He came to win and that’s what I wanted. The hand felt fine, I let it go a few times. I didn’t want to overdo it. Tony told me to let the shots flow so that’s what I did. I shouldn’t have any problems with my hand now. It’s time to build on that. If I want to be a World Champion, I have to get past people like Kourbanov. I didn’t really get out of second gear.”

Fowler Takes out Fortea in 3

Anthony Fowler stopped Jorge Fortea at in round three of a scheduled 10-round super welterweight fight.

At the end of round three, Fowler landed a booming right hand that sent Fortea to the canvas. With Fortea hurt, Fowler was able to land a hard combination that crashed Fortea down againm and the fight was stopped at 3:08.

Fowler, 153.8 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 14-1 with 11 knockouts. Fortea, 152.9 lbs of Sueca, SPA is 21-3-1.

“I surprised myself, I’m not going to lie,” said Fowler. “I thought it was going to go to points. I half play myself down. He just went 12 rounds with a Russian 18-0 killer, IBF No.1. I’m boxing at a much lower level. I’m the first one to admit that.

“I get a few trolls sometimes telling me that I’m boxing at English Title level and they’re right, it’s not my fault. I’m asking for these big fights. I haven’t been getting them. I’ve said to Eddie, ‘throw me in mate, let’s see what I’m made of’. Try and get me smashed and let’s see how I get on.

“He went down from a stiff jab which I was surprised about. I heard Shane say, ‘don’t rush it’, but I knew there was ten seconds left so I thought ‘f*ck it’. I had to throw one bomb at least, luckily enough it landed. He was actually better than I thought he was going to be.

“The first round was even and in the second round he caught me with a good shot. The jab was landing but he was quite tricky. I started throwing to his body to slow him down. The finish was nice, it was a nice straight hand. I was glad he stayed down; it could have been a long night that.

“I could have cried in that ring; it means that much to me. My coach genuinely believes in me more than me. I’ve got the power in both hands and I’ve got the ability. Me and Metcalf is an unbelievable fight. I know he wants it; I’ve heard him talking about it. The whole city would be buzzing. Put me in with Garcia and I’ll beat him too.”

Scotney Decisions Gangloff

Ellie Scotney won a six-round unanimous decision Mailys Gangloff in a featherweight bout.

Scotney, 123 lbs of Catford, ENG won by a 59-55 score and is 2-0. Gangloff, 119 lbs of France is now 4-2.

“It was definitely a learning fight for me for sure,” said Scotney. “Normally in your second fight you’re going to box someone that’s not coming to win. She wasn’t an idiot; she’d had five fights. I learnt a lot from that and there’s a lot to build on. I’m thankful for that.

“She was very angry wasn’t she. She’s as tough as they come, and I think I’m going to benefit a lot from it. It’ll give me a kick up the backside. I’ve got a lot more work to put in, which I love doing. I’ve got a long way to go.

“It was my birthday this week, I’ve just turned 23, I want to push on and I know I’ve got it in me. Now it’s time to start delivering. Women’s boxing is going from strength to strength. Hopefully I can get on the undercard of one of the big ones in May.”

Billam-Smith Decisions Ducar

Chris Billam-Smith won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vasil Ducar in a cruiserweight bout.

In round two, Billam-Smith started bleeding from the mouth. In round four, Billam-Smith hurt Ducar with a counter right and then jumped on him with solid punches for a knockdown.

In round six, Billam-Smith dropped Ducar with a body shot.

Billam-Smith, 199 lbs of Bournemouth, ENG won by sores of 99-90 twice and 97-92 and is now 12-1. Ducar, 198.8 lbs of Brno, Czech Republic is 9-4-1.

“I felt comfortable in there at all times, even when he had his little spurts,” said Smith. “It was really good for me. I thought I was going to become the first man to stop him. I had him down a couple of times, but he was a tough tough man. If I was going to rate it out of ten, I’d probably give myself a 6.5 or 7 out of ten.

“I’ve got plenty to work on in the gym and I can improve a lot. The main thing was getting the win. I got that and I’m happy. I hit him with a great body shot, I felt it really sink in, and then I dropped him to the head as well. He was dipping and I was trying to hit him just over the top of his gloves. Those Czechs are tough and all respect to him.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the stoppage, but the main important thing was the win. I switched off a couple of times during the fight because I felt very comfortable. I let my hands get leaky probably two or three times during the fight and he clipped me, but I wasn’t buzzed or hurt at all. I saw everything coming so you can always take something out of the shots.

“I’ve definitely got improvements to make. That was my 13^th fight and I’m always about improving every day in the ring. I’m very grateful to have such great stablemates and such a great coach. I’d love to get the Tommy McCarthy fight as soon as possible.”

Ali Decisions Connolly

Ramla Ali remained undefeated with a decision over Bec Connolly in a sex-round featherweight bout.

In round five, Ali was cut around her left eye from an elbow.

Ali, 126.6 lbs of Bethenal Green, ENG won by a 60-55 score and is now 2-0. Connolly, 126.5 lbs of Swindon, ENG is 3-9.

“Apart from the shiner on my face I’m very satisfied,” Ali told Matchroom. “Regardless of what the scales said, I gave away about half a stone. I weighed-in in like two pairs of jogging bottoms just so I could match the weight. I felt the weight difference for sure, but I tried to not let her use her weight advantage against me.

“I tried to maintain the centre of the ring as much as possible, which I did. I’m really satisfied with how I performed. She’s tough but I got it done. Jobi always says you can’t beat the feet – and he’s right! I was always moving off from the double jab. We work a lot on footwork, and I feel like I did really well with my footwork.

“She was the one calling me out saying that she wanted to fight me. Don’t then turn around and complain that you’ve had short notice. You’re a professional, if I was calling someone out, I’d be ready any time. She said she had a couple of days’ notice. I don’t know what to say about that really.

“Everyone is nervous before getting in the ring because it means so much to you. You want to prove yourself and you want to show all of your friends and family that are watching at home that you’re worthy of watching. You want to put on a good performance and have a good fight. The moment that bell went all of the nerves went and I was razor focused on getting the job done. The Olympic dream is still alive and I’m still hopeful to go, and hopeful to compete. I’m still hoping to progress in my professional career.”

Chris Billam-Smith says there is no chance of him overlookinghis “tough” replacement opponent Vasil Ducar, but the reigning Commonwealth Cruiserweight Champion will be looking to stop him inside the distance when they collideat The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday March 20, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

‘The Gentleman’ (11-1, 10 KOs), who blasted out Cardiff’s Nathan Thorley in two destructive rounds in the opening bout of Fight Camp Week 2 last August, was originally slated to battle English Champion Deion Jumah for the vacant British Title but will now take on the Czech Republic’s Ducar for the vacant WBA Continental Title. 

Impressive back-to-back stoppage wins since his close points loss to Richard Riakporhe in 2019 have seen the Bournemouth powerhouse cement himself as one of the hottest properties in the UK Cruiserweight scene, and now the 30-year-old Shane McGuigan-trained fighter will look to make his mark at European level, with a showdown against Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy in his sight lines. .

“We’re in this sport to fight so when fights fall out close to the date it’s frustrating but I’m just looking forward to getting back in there and putting on a show,” said Billam-Smith. “I’m learning all the time and that’s the way I’m looking at it, I’m far from the finished article and I’m using every day in camp to make sure I’m always improving.

“Vasil Ducar was out sparring Mairis Briedis with me about a year ago and he’s very tough. He’s been in with some very good fighters who couldn’t get him out of there so I will be looking to go one better and end the fight inside the ten rounds. 

“Shane also tells me how tough he is but my response to that is, ‘let’s see!’. He’s never been stopped and can clearly punch with 8 of his 9 wins coming by knockout. This is a good challenge for me at this stage of my career.

“I would love to headline a show in Bournemouth later this year when crowds have returned. The Tommy McCarthy fight for the European Title really excites me or the rematch with Richard Riakporhe, but right now it’s all focus on Ducar, March 20.”

Billam-Smith vs. Ducar is part of a huge night of action in London, Hackney Cruiserweight Lawrence Okolie (15-0, 12 KOs) attempts to become Britain’s next World Champion in just his sixteenth fight when he clashes with Krzysztof Glowacki for the vacant WBO crown, Welsh Super-Featherweight Joe Cordina (11-0, 7 KOs) meets Belgium’s Faroukh Kourbanov (17-2, 3 KOs) over ten rounds, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (13-1, 10 KOs) returns against Spain’s Jorge Fortea (21-2-1, 7 KOs) with the WBA International Title on the line, Ramla Ali (1-0) has her second professional fight, Catford’s Ellie Scotney (1-0) meets Mailys Gangloff (4-1, 1 KO) and Stretford Middleweight Bradley Rea (9-0, 3 KOs) takes on Bournemouth’s Lee Cutler (7-0, 4 KOs).

Chris Billam-Smith says he learnt more from sparring World No.1 Cruiserweight Mairis Briedis than he did in all of his first seven professional fights combined. 

Following his impressive stoppage win over Craig Glover to claim the Commonwealth Title in Liverpool, ‘The Gentleman’ (10-1, 9 KOs) flew out to Riga in February to spend two weeks sparring with WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Briedis in the Latvian capital. 

Briedis, a former WBC ruler, went on a 23-fight winning streak before suffering his first career loss to pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk in a close battle for the WBC and WBO belts in the World Boxing Super Series semi-final in January 2018. 

He bounced back to become a two-time World Champion in the following season’s WBSS when he floored Krzysztof Glowacki in three rounds to win the WBO belt in June last year, but the semi-final bout was shrouded in controversy after Briedis knocked Glowacki down well after the bell in the second round. 

Bournemouth’s Billam-Smith says the 30 rounds he shared with Briedis will help him make a first successful defence of his Commonwealth Title against Nathan Thorley this Friday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

“I learnt so much out there,” said Billam-Smith. “He’s proven himself at the very top level. He gave Usyk arguably his hardest fight. He’s a tough bloke and he gave me some great work. I had to adapt and really think during the spars. I really feel like I’ve improved as a fighter from those two weeks. 

“It was like having another fight under your belt because you’re in a foreign country and it’s hard work. It was probably more beneficial than my first seven fights all put together. It was a great experience for me. I really had to take my time and pick my shots against him. I think that’s what you’ll see of me on August 7^th.”

Cardiff’s Thorley, a former Welsh Area Light-Heavyweight Champion, believes his clash with Billam-Smith will be his ‘breakthrough night’, but the Shane McGuigan-trained 30-year-old has other ideas and says he will be a step too far for ‘Thunder’.

“Thorley has never been in with anyone like me. It doesn’t matter what he’s capable of or what his game plan is, I will make sure I’m victorious on August 7^th. This might be his big opportunity but I won’t be letting him take it. I think he’ll tire a lot sooner than me and I believe I hit a lot harder than him as well.

“He’s got range and he’s got quick hands, he’s got a boxing brain and he’s got good ability but it’s a big step up for him from his previous fights. We’ll see how he deals with the occasion. It’s his first twelve rounder up at Cruiserweight against someone who is a natural Cruiserweight. It will be interesting to see how strong he is in there.”

Billam-Smith vs. Thorley lands on Week 2 of Matchroom Camp, Terri Harper’s (10-0, 5 KOs) defence of her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles against British rival Natasha Jonas (9-1, 7 KOs) headlines the show, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (12-1, 9 KOs) gets his second outing of the year against Adam Harper (9-1), Oldham Lightweight prospect Aqib Fiaz (5-0) steps up against Birmingham’s former Midlands Area Champion Kane Baker (13-6) and Leeds Featherweight prospect Hopey Price (2-0) takes on Jonny Phillips (5-4, 2 KOs).

Nathan Thorley is determined to announce himself on the big stage when he challenges Bournemouth’s Chris Billam-Smith for the Commonwealth Cruiserweight Title on Week 2 of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex on Friday August 7, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

‘Thunder’ (14-0, 6 KOs) won Welsh honours at Light-Heavyweight before admitting defeat in his battle with the scales and moving up to Cruiserweight where he has scored points wins over Lithuanian imports Remigijus Ziausys and Dmitrij Kalinovskij.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist is confident fans will see the best version of him when he steps up in class to face ‘The Gentleman’ in what he hopes will be the first of many title fights at his new weight. 

“I’ve had one fight where my opponent was coming to win, and he got knocked out in the second round,” said Thorley. “I’m taking nothing away from Jermaine Asare, he’s a tidy fighter. After that I went back to fighting journeymen again – opponents who are only trying to survive in there. That’s not what I want out of this sport. I want to fight the best to be the best. 

“The division is massive at the moment, it never used to be, but now there’s plenty of fights out there for me that I want to take and will take. Chris is a good fighter. He’s got a good shot selection to the body and head. He’s a fit, strong, physical guy so I’ve got my work cut out. It’s not going to be an easy night. I’m really looking forward to getting in the ring with him. 

“I was never going to pass at this opportunity. This is my breakthrough night. Everyone that I’ve fought or sparred with have always said I’m big and awkward. He’ll have his work cut out too. I’m not coming in to just fall down. I’m coming in to win. I will have my hand raised.”

Billam-Smith vs. Thorley lands on Week 2 of Matchroom Camp, Terri Harper’s (10-0, 5 KOs) defence of her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles against British rival Natasha Jonas (9-1, 7 KOs) headlines the show, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (12-1, 9 KOs) gets his second outing of the year against Adam Harper (9-1), Oldham Lightweight prospect Aqib Fiaz (5-0) steps up against Birmingham’s former Midlands Area Champion Kane Baker (13-6) and Leeds Featherweight prospect Hopey Price (2-0) fights on UK soil again following his win on the huge Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua 2 show in Saudi Arabia. 

Callum Smith defended his WBA Super Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over gritty challenger John Ryder at The Echo Arena in Smith’s hometown of Liverpool. England.

Smith had to dig down as Ryder made it a dog-fight and fought with a cut over his right eye.

Ryder, 167.4 lbs of Liverpool won by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice to raise his mark to 27-0. Ryder, 167.4 lbs of London is 28-5.

“I want the best names in the division and I’m not disrespecting John Ryder but there was no fear tonight,” Smith told Sky Sports afterwards.

“I didn’t believe John Ryder was good enough to beat me. There are fighters that I believe are good enough to beat me that don’t perform and that’s going to bring out the best in me. That’s what I want, I want the big names.

“I just want a big name, where if I turn up like tonight I’ll lose. That fear brings out the best performance in me, I feel I need that.”

“I thought that was harsh,” said Ryder. “I thought I forced the fight, he was just nicking rounds, if that. I thought I done enough to win that.

“I’ve lost for the British title three times, I’ve come back and fought for a world title against the world No 1. I think I’ve done more than enough to show I’m credible for this and I will come again.”

Chris Billam-Smith stopped Craig Glover in round five of their scheduled 12-round cruiserweight bout.

In round one, Glover was cut around the right eye. In round four, Billam-Smith dropped Glover with a combination to the head. In round five, it was a left from Billam-Smith that sent Glove down again. Seconds later, Billam-Smith continued to pound away on Glover and the fight was stopped just as Billam-Smith sent Glover down with a right hand at 1:45.

Billam-Smith, 198.7 lbs of Bournemouth is 10-1 with nine knockouts. Glover, 198.3 lbs of Liverpool is 10-3.

“Craig is a very good fighter. I was scared going into that fight,” said Billam-Smith afterwards. “I’d love that fight next [Richard Riakporhe vs Jack Massey].”

Anthony Fowler won a 10-round unanimous decision over Harry Scarff in a super welterweight bout.

In round nine, Fowler landed a right hand that put Scarff down.

Fowler, 153.8 lbs of Liverpool won by scores of 98-91 on all cards, and is now 11-0. Scarff, 152.9 lbs of Derby is 8-1.

“His nickname is ‘Horrible’, he didn’t want to fight. That was a horrible, frustrating fight,” Fowler told Sky Sports afterwards. “As long as I win, that’s my main priority.”

Sean Dodd won a technical majority decision over Tom Farrell in a super lightweight bout.

In round one, Farrell suffered a bloody nose. In round four, Farrell was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt. The blood covered his face, and he said he could not see following the round and the bout was stopped.

Since four rounds were completed they went to the scorecards, and Dodd was ahead 39-38, 39-37 and 38-38.

Dodd is now 16-5-1. Farrell is 17-3.

Thomas Whittaker-Hart stopped Josp Perkovic in a scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

Hart, 178.4 lbs of Liverpool is 4-0 with two knockouts. Perkovic, 180.6 lbs of Croatia is now 9-2.

Chris Billam-Smith has vowed to silence the crowd at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool on Saturday when he clashes with local prospect Craig Glover for the vacant Commonwealth Cruiserweight crown, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

‘The Gentleman’ found himself on the wrong end of a split decision against big-hitting Londoner Richard Riakporhe in a close battle for the WBA Inter-Continental title at The O2 last time out in July and will be aiming to bounce back with a win against his former sparring partner, Glover. 

Undeterred by his first professional loss, Billam-Smith (9-1, 8 KOs) hopes that a win over the Tony Bellew-managed Scouser will lead to a future rematch with Riakporhe, who meets Jack Massey for the vacant British title at York Hall on December 19. 

“I’m going straight back into a big domestic fight and that’s exactly what I wanted,” said Billam-Smith. “It can’t be a bad fight. We both like to let our hands go, we both like to get stoppages, throw big shots, there’s not any running from either of us. He’s not going to be holding and stuff like Riakporhe was. It will be a very physical fight but a lot less grappling and a lot more big shots going in. 

“Last time at The O2 was a great experience, it was a good fight, one we thought that we won. We felt comfortable when the final bell went. That’s obviously a rematch that I’d like in the future. He’s going for the British title next month so maybe we can get it on for that in the new year. First up it’s Craig and he has my full attention and respect. 

“We’ve sparred before and Craig is a great lad but this is business and it can only be a cracking fight, I’m certain of that. We only sparred the once and it was only six rounds but it was a close spar, it was a good spar and a good one to watch. It was competitive the whole time and we both came out of it thinking that we would box each other for a title and here we are.”

Glover has experienced mixed fortunes since turning over to the professional ranks in May 2016 on the Bellew  vs. Makabu World title blockbuster at Goodison Park. He lost in just his third pro outing before being dropped and stopped by Vaclav Pejsar in Liverpool earlier this year. 

Despite this, the 28-year-old is remains highly-rated by many in the fight game, including former WBC Cruiserweight king Bellew. Billam-Smith is familiar with fighting on Merseyside and believes he has what it takes to silence Glover’s fans once more. 

“I boxed at the M&S Bank Arena as an amateur in the ABA’s so I’m familiar with the place and the city as well. I love it up there, I love Liverpool as a city. The fans are very passionate people. Craig is a good lad and most scousers are. They’re all very nice people but unfortunately I’m going to have to silence them on the night. 

“It’s going to be a bit more of a partisan crowd this time being in Liverpool but I’ll be bringing a few up from Bouremouth and London. My brother was actually there when Craig got stopped and he said it was very noisy up until the stoppage. That’s obviously the plan for me, to silence the crowd. It’s a cracking fight and we’re both exciting to watch with come-forward styles. I believe that it will be an absolute barnburner while it lasts.”

Glover vs. Billam-Smith is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool. 

Main event sees Liverpool’s Callum Smith (26-0, 19 KOs) defend his WBA World, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles against John Ryder (28-4, 16 KOs), Anthony Fowler (10-1, 8 KOs) meets Harry Scarff (8-0, 1 KO) for the WBA International Super-Welterweight title, James Tennyson (25-3, 21 KOs) and Craig Evans (20-2-2, 3 KOs) square-off in a final eliminator for the British Lightweight title, Tom Farrell (17-2, 5 KOs) clashes with Sean Dodd (16-5-1, 3 KOs) in a must-win encounter for both men Liverpool Light-Heavyweight talent Thomas Whittaker-Hart (3-0, 1 KO) aims to end his first year as a pro in style and Liverpool Super-Lightweight Marcus Molloy (1-0) and Skelmersdale Welterweight Tom Aitchson (1-0) both go for their second win in the pro ranks. 

David Price stopped Dave Allen after round ten of a scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout.

Allen seemed to hurt his hand the fight was pulled.

Price is 25-6 with 20 knockouts. Allen is 17-5-2.

In a battle of former world title challenger, Dereck Chisora knocked out Artur Szpilka in round two of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Chisora landed a perfect right hand that sent Szpilka plummeting down and fight was stopped at 1:01.

Chisora 31-9 with 22 knockouts. Szpilka of Poland is 22-4.

Richard Riakporhe took a close 10-round split decision over Chris Billam-Smith a cruiserweight fight.ro

Riakporhe won by scores of 96-93 twice while Smith took a card 95-94.

Riakporhe is 10-0. Smith is 9-1.

Lawrence Okolie stopped Mariano Angel Guidino After round seven of the scheduled 10-round counterweight fight,

In round three, Okollie dropped Gudino with a right hand.

Okolie dropped Guidino three more times in round seven, and the bout wzs stopped upon the bell.

Okolie is 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Guidino of Argentina 13-3.

Dan Azeez stopped Charley Duffield in round six of their scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Azeez could not miss with his right and closed the left eye of Duffield up. The corner threw in the towel at 2:49.

Azeez is 9-0 with six stoppagees. Duffield is 7-2.

Richard Riakporhe says he will beat Chris Billam-Smith “in every department” when he puts his WBA Inter-Continental belt on the line against the unbeaten Bournemouth man at The O2 on Saturday July 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US.

After going the distance on his professional debut in the summer of 2016, big-hitting Riakporhe has stopped all of his opponents since with every contest bar one failing to reach the fifth round. With just nine fights to his name, the 29-year-old expects to become even more of a problem in his division once he has further refined his skills with trainer Mark Tibbs. 

“It’s real power that I possess, it’s very genuine,” said Riakporhe. “You do not want to get hit, but now all these other fighters, they are going to start taking risks, because I’m boxing now, I’m not just relying on my raw power. The more risks they take, the more dangerous the fight is going to be for them, and they’ll get knocked out.

“I believe I’m the most dangerous, because I have the power and I have transferred my intelligence into the ring. You have to be wary of a fighter like me and I’m dangerous throughout the fight, from the first bell, until the last. You have to be focused throughout the fight. Any mistake you make, I’ll capitalise on it. Just one, that’s all I need.”

Trained by highly-rated coach Shane McGuigan alongside British champion Lawrence Okolie, Billam-Smith shares an identical record of 9-0 (8 KOs) and has also predicted a KO win in this weekend’s crunch Cruiserweight showdown, but Riakporhe holds no fear of ‘The Gentleman’ and is extremely confident that he will get the job done. 

“I think Chris Billam-Smith is a good fighter, it’s just that there’s levels in this game and I feel that I’m on another level. He brings good boxing skill, he’s got a good coach in his corner, but once that bell rings he’s going to understand that there’s different levels of fighting. I don’t think he has been up against an opponent like me.

“All my fights and history shows that I have abnormal power and that’s likely to bring issues when we fight for sure, but we’re not only going to rely on that. We’re going to outbox him and beat him in every department. I just can’t wait to get in there and get to work. I’ve got tons of potential and fight after fight I’m learning news things. I’ve taken these big tests, I came into all these fights as the underdog, and my resume is looking quite impressive.”

Riakporhe vs. Billam-Smith is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Main event sees Brixton’s Dillian Whyte (25-1, 18 KOs) risk his number one spot in the WBC against relentless and undefeated Colombian Oscar Rivas (26-0, 18 KOs), Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (17-4-2, 14 KOs) tackles Liverpudlian Heavyweight David Price (24-6, 19 KOs) in a must-win domestic showdown, former World title challengers Derek Chisora (30-9, 21 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (22-3, 15 KOs) clash in an explosive Heavyweight match-up, Canning Town’s Charlie Duffield (7-1, 6 KOs) clashes with Lewisham’s Dan Azeez (8-0, 5 KOs) for the vacant Southern Area Light-Heavyweight title, Lawrence Okolie (12-0, 9 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Cruiserweight title against Mariano Gudino (13-2, 8 KOs), Ipswich Heavyweight Fabio Wardley (7-0, 6 KOs) continues his march towards a title and Sheffield amateur star Dalton Smith (1-0) fights for the second time.

Richard Riakporhe will make the second defence of his WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Chris Billam-Smith on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s crunch Heavyweight clash with Oscar Rivas at The O2 in London on July 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Riakporhe (9-0, 8KOs) displayed destructive punch power as he halted Belfast’s highly-touted Tommy McCarthy in four rounds last time out at the East of England Arena in Peterborough in March and the Londoner knows that a win over unbeaten Billam-Smith will keep him in contention for a clash with current British Champion Lawrence Okolie.

Billam-Smith (8-0, 7KOs) also holds a perfect record since turning professional in 2017 and the Bournemouth fighter keeps busy on next Friday’s JD NXTGEN show at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham before turning his attention to Riakporhe.

Known as ‘The Gentleman’, Billam-Smith has honed his skills under trainer Shane McGuigan and the 28-year-old is determined to announce himself on the big stage by taking out Riakporhe in style on his first ever PPV event.

“I’m so excited,” said Riakporhe. “I just can’t wait to get in there and get to work. I’ve got tons of potential and fight after fight I’m learning new things. I’ve taken on these big tests, I came into all these fights as the underdog, and my resume is looking quite impressive so far. This is pretty much the beginning and it’s just a matter of time before people realise that I’m the truth.

“I think Chris Billam-Smith is a good fighter, it’s just that there’s levels and I just feel that I’m on another level. He brings good boxing skill, he’s got a good coach in his corner, but once that bell rings he’s going to understand that there’s different levels of fighting. I don’t think he has been up against an opponent like me.

“All my fights and history shows that I have abnormal power and that’s likely to bring issue when we fight for sure, but we’re not only going to rely on that. We’re going to outbox him and beat him in every single department.

“I bring a lot of power and the fans love to see the knockouts. I bring those knockouts as you can see from my last eight fights and I’m going to continue to bring excitement to the fans. I think Lawrence will be watching closely and I believe once I carry on getting the wins, our paths are very likely to cross. It’s going to be a hell of a fight in the future.”

“I believe it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans,” said Billam-Smith. “You only have to look at our records to see that we both carry knockout power and the ability to end fights at any time. Isaac Chamberlain didn’t want to know so we moved on swiftly and secured a better fight with Riakporhe, I’m not letting anyone stall my career.

“I think I’ll outbox him early on and I believe I’ll take him out when I get the chance – I don’t expect this to go the full ten rounds. I believe that I’ll take him out anywhere between four and six rounds. He’s a good scalp for me at this stage of my career as his record looks great on paper and he can obviously punch a bit. There’s definitely weaknesses there which I plan to exploit.

“This will be the first title that I’ve boxed for as a professional and it’s important to get it under my belt in order to progress. I want to pick up as many belts as I can and move up the rankings quickly. It’s the perfect platform for me with it being on Sky Sports Box Office and at such a great arena that I’ve been to many times as a fan over the years. I’m excited to bring a big fanbase with me and start the show with a bang.”

“Richard is on a good run now and he’s got a lot of confidence behind him,” said Dillian Whyte, manager of Riakporhe. “The people he’s fighting and beating, I believe his resume is a lot better than Lawrence Okolie’s so far. If he defeats Billam-Smith in good fashion, which I believe he will do, then he should be looking to fight the likes of Lawrence Okolie by the end of the year.

“Billam-Smith is a good boxer, he’s undefeated, he’ll be confident, but Richard carries a lot of power, he’s on a roll and I think he can stop Billam-Smith in six or seven rounds. With Richard, it’s all about the people he has around him, and the mindset that those people give him. He’s ready to defeat most of these guys in the Cruiserweight division worldwide.”

“It’s a great fight and these type of fights don’t happen very often,” said Barry McGuigan MBE, manager of Billam-Smith. “Most of the guys that are coming up through the ranks are always conscious of the guys that are on a similar level to them with similar records but invariably they avoid each other, certainly in the early stages of their career. It’s great to see these two young guys meeting on July 20.

“Riakporhe is definitely known for his punching power and I know that his manager Dillian Whyte thinks Riakporhe can take Billam-Smith out but I disagree with that completely. Of all of the guys that we’ve had through the gym, I don’t think anyone had made the improvements that Billam-Smith has made. He’s got great boxing skills and he can bang. He places his shots really well. It’s not an easy fight, there’s no question about it, but I think he will have too much for Riakporhe – he’s too versatile. It’s as simple as that.”

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