Chris Billam-Smith wants payback for two amateur losses to Chev Clarke, even though he admits the November 7 matchup offers almost nothing beyond settling a personal score. At 36 years old, taking this bout is a curious decision.

“So there’s nothing to gain from this fight from the boxing world’s perspective. It’s not guaranteeing me a title shot or anything like that, but it’s a good fight,” Billam-Smith told The Ring. “And most importantly, it’s one I stay up for because of the past. He’s 2-0 up at the moment, but I can have the final say.”

The former WBO cruiserweight champion headlines Zuffa Boxing 12 against Clarke at London’s Copper Box Arena, airing on Sky Sports in the UK alongside Paramount+ in the United States.

Clarke defeated Billam-Smith twice in 2016, snatching a coveted Team GB spot in the process. Their pro paths took different trajectories. Billam-Smith secured a world championship, whereas Clarke continues working toward elite status.

That history fuels the promotion, yet it also exposes the lopsided risk. Billam-Smith is heavily expected to win. Clarke, meanwhile, stands to claim the scalp of a former titleholder, generating momentum far beyond his earlier amateur triumphs.

You can understand the motivation. Those old losses clearly stung, giving him plenty of fuel in the gym. Still, using his final championship years to settle an old grudge carries real danger.

Winning keeps him active, though it guarantees zero future title shots. Dropping the decision would be disastrous, derailing his championship aspirations while handing Clarke a career defining victory.

Amateur history tells only part of the tale. Billam-Smith owns vastly superior championship rounds as a pro. He must put every bit of that veteran seasoning to work against an opponent who has everything to seize.

From a purely strategic boxing standpoint, this is horrible matchmaking for Billam-Smith. It carries maximum risk with virtually zero upside.

Taking on a dangerous domestic puncher like Clarke does nothing to elevate him. If Billam-Smith wins, the boxing world shrugs it off. Everyone expects a former world champion to handle Clarke, who, despite his amateur pedigree, is already 35 and has not proved he belongs at world level as a professional.

Letting personal vanity and decade-old amateur grudges dictate late-career match selection is a classic trap. It looks like an easy headliner for the promoters to hype on Sky and Paramount+, but in reality, it is a high-hazard, low-reward scrap that could end up being the final nail in Billiam-Smith’s championship hopes.

Floyd Schofield Sr. sees his son wearing Lucas Bahdi down with vicious body shots this Saturday before closing the show in round nine. The real mystery is what Kid Austin looks like after sitting on the shelf for sixteen months.

Schofield blew out Tevin Farmer inside three minutes back in June 2025. He looked devastating, but Farmer was an aging target already softened by twenty-four punishing rounds against William Zepeda. That was a wounded veteran absorbing tons of punishment right before stepping into the ring with Schofield.

“Kid is going to drag that early to like nine rounds. He ain’t going to stop him one or two. Kid ain’t going to aim to knock him out. He ain’t going to go to clip the chin or temples or behind the ear or nothing that would stagger a person to knock him out. He going to aim more to break his body,” Schofield Sr. said to MillCity Boxing.

Executing that game plan means sustaining heavy pressure across the middle rounds. A one-round blast against Farmer never proved he could maintain that pace over time. When he went the full twelve with Rene Giron in late 2024, his output looked far more pedestrian.

Wrecking an opponent early is one thing. Doing it over nine rounds against a live dog after a long layoff is a totally different assignment.

The father claims Bahdi made this feud personal by running his mouth. That might fire Floyd up, but emotional fighters get sloppy. Digging into the ribs means stepping into the danger zone against a guy who packs genuine heat.

His dad admits that risk, noting both men bring serious power to the table.

He also brushes off concerns about the rehydration limit, citing their tough gym sessions. Still, looking sharp in private sparring never guarantees your timing clicks under real arena lights.

If Floyd comes out cold or misfires on his combinations, that prediction will blow up fast. Team Schofield is treating the Farmer blowout like the new standard. Saturday reveals whether that quick win showed real growth or just a lucky break against spent goods.

Floyd Schofield believes Lucas Bahdi is counting on one big punch to beat him this Saturday in Chicago, questioning whether the Canadian has the skills to win their vacant lightweight title fight any other way.

Schofield sees Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton Sylve as the approach he will try again: absorb punches, remain patient, and wait for Schofield to jump into something.

“I just think that they’re hoping I just jump in and he gets the same moment he had with Ashton,” Schofield said to Chris Mannix ahead of Saturday’s fight. “I would find it hard to believe that he thinks he’s a more skillful fighter than me or a better fighter than me. If so, then he’s crazy.”

Schofield described Bahdi’s patience and power as his best attributes, pointing out that Sylve hit him clean for six rounds without discouraging him. That is also the reason Schofield cannot afford to become careless if he builds an early lead.

Bahdi does not need to win every exchange to remain dangerous. Schofield could be landing the cleaner punches and controlling the fight, then give away everything by rushing forward with his head exposed. The temptation to force a stoppage could become Bahdi’s best opportunity.

Schofield also questioned Bahdi’s footwork and defense, saying he gets hit frequently and trips over his feet. Although Bahdi has changed trainers, Schofield doubts those habits can be corrected quickly at 31.

His father, Floyd Schofield Sr., believes his son has improved his distance control during camp and is picking his punches more carefully rather than jumping in.

That would be a useful change against Bahdi, but it has to last beyond the opening rounds. Schofield’s speed can help him score without staying in punching range. If he gets drawn into proving he can hurt Bahdi with every attack, he would be taking the very risk he believes the Canadian needs him to take.