Chamberlain Expects Tougher Test From Massey Than Riley Or Clarke

Isaac Chamberlain believes that Jack Massey represents a tougher opponent than Viddal Riley or Cheavon Clarke.

The 30 year old on Saturday fights Massey in the latest defence of his Commonwealth cruiserweight title and with the vacant European title also on the line.

Their fight at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park is on the undercard of Chris Billam-Smith’s WBO title defence against Richard Riakporhe – it was Billam-Smith who earned a decision over Chamberlain when in 2022 they fought for the Commonwealth and European titles – and therefore potentially puts the winner in contention to challenge the winner of the main event next.

Massey, 31, was installed as Chamberlain’s opponent after he had previously targeted Riley or Clarke, but entering what perhaps represents his biggest opportunity since the fight that brought his first defeat, by Lawrence Okolie in 2018, Chamberlain said: “We wanted to do, maybe, the Vidal Riley fight, or Cheav Clarke – those guys – but we wanted to go further with the European Chamberlain Expects Tougher Test From Massey Than Riley Or Clarke, so he’s the guy right now.

“He’s very physical. But we want challenges; we want big fights; we want things that’s going to make me get up in the morning and really work towards, and this was one of them.

“He’s a good fighter. He’s done his thing, but I’m a level above, man. He’s very tough. He has a high work-rate. He’s very strong as well. He tries to bring the heat, but my heat is better; my heat is bigger.

“[When we were face to face] I was saying, ‘You think you’re gonna hit me with that right hand you said?’, and he said, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna see – watch’. I was touching his chin, and that’s about it. I don’t know what he was trying to do, but everyone knows how I come. I come solid, so let’s see who’s going to be friendly on fight night.

“[When he was outpointed by Joseph Parker at heavyweight he was in] survival mode, man. You can just see that’s all he was doing – surviving. Surviving the fight. He’s probably gonna have to do the same thing just to get there with me. If you’re surviving you’re not really gonna come with many shots. It is what it is.

“Some people think I’m going to knock him out. Some people think it’s going to be hard. Some people think he’s going to win. That’s the beauty about boxing, man.”

Chamberlain, from Brixton, will watch Saturday’s main event with interest, and he said: “There’s been talks about [fighting the winner], but I think I’ll be number-one contender for the WBC title [held by Noel Mikaeljan] after this one, so I want to get the WBC title and make a massive unification [fight]. Then we’re really in.

“It’s a tough one, man. Richard’s very powerful, but CBS is very tough and has a great coach [Shane McGuigan] that does a great game plan. He’s had more fights. Richard hasn’t had the rounds in, but the rounds he has had, he’s knocked them out early, so it’s a very hard one. 

“South London. It means the most, man. South London is where dreams are made, and I’m very grateful for this. I’m going to give everything I can to get that win on Saturday night. It’s happening. It’s happening. I believe it.”