BENTLEY URGES WBO TO ALLOW DEFENSE AGAINST MOSLEY JR.
Denzel Bentley may be a champion, but he doesn’t call the shots.
Shortly after he was elevated from interim to full WBO middleweight champion, the sanctioning body ordered Bentley to face No. 1-ranked contender Yoenli Hernandez.
After failing to reach an agreement, the WBO held a purse bid on September 29. Warriors Boxing — the lone bidder — submitted a winning proposal of $200,000. However, instead of facing Hernandez (11-0, 9 KOs), Bentley signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing. He’s slated to return to the ring on November 7 against Shane Mosley Jr. at Copper Box Arena in Middlesex, United Kingdom.
From Bentley’s point of view, it was a misunderstanding, and he petitioned the WBO not to strip him of the belt he’s pursued throughout his entire career.
"I'm more than happy to fight Hernandez. It's just the situation at hand. We already thought we were fighting a voluntary defense before the end of the year and put things in place for that. This has been thrown on us," Bentley told Sky Sports.
"It just makes it a difficult place for me to be in. I don't want to vacate, and I don't want to be stripped of my title. But I have to move forward in my career, and I cannot wait around for people to make decisions for me."
Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs) also argued why his appeal should be granted.
“I think we do have a good case. I did become champion, and in their rulings you get nine months from when you become champion until your mandatory gets called on,” Bentley continued. “We've been fighting this case from before it went to purse bids.
“I think we've got a strong enough case for us to keep our title, and if we can keep the title on the line for this fight, it would be an honor for me and an honor for Shane Mosley Jr. getting a shot at a world title, and he could potentially become world champion. Not on my watch, I'm not going to let that happen."
For now, Bentley wants to prioritize knocking Mosley Jr. (23-5, 13 KOs) off his high horse. The 35-year-old challenger has found his groove lately, winning six of his last seven, including a sixth-round stoppage over Serhii Bohachuk in his last appearance.
With everything going on around him, Bentley is simply looking forward to a difficult fight.
"He is on a good run right now," Bentley said. "He's a tough guy, he's got a lot of heart, and it's going to be a tough fight. I think it's going to be a little bit of a dogfight. He is a dog; he's got heart, he's a workhorse, he's very fit, he throws a lot of punches. We're going to give a good fight for the fans."
Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
Chris Billam-Smith on revenge mission against Cheavon Clarke: 'I’ve got a lot of bitterness inside me!’
Chris Billam-Smith has an old score to settle when he fights Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena in London next month: "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash!"; Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports
Chris Billam-Smith is on a revenge mission when he fights Cheavon Clarke on November 7.
Billam-Smith takes on Clarke, an old amateur rival, at the Copper Box Arena, live on Sky Sports.
Both men are coming off spectacular wins, with Billam-Smith battling through an exhilarating war with Ryan Rozicki and Clarke rising from the canvas twice to come back and take out Jack Massey, all on the same Bournemouth bill.
But Billam-Smith has a 10-year-old score to settle with Clarke.
Bournemouth's Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result that still rankles.
It was an accolade that Billam-Smith had spent his whole amateur career trying to win.
"To take that away from me it was pretty gutting, I was certain I was going to win it that year," Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
"It's still that elusive ABA title which he took from me," Billam-Smith continued. "He got the nod, deservedly so, I'm not going to cry about, I'm just going to put it right on November 7."
They boxed twice, with Clarke also beating him in an English Title belt series. "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash on November 7!" Billam-Smith grinned.
They followed different paths. Clarke took a place on GB and became an Olympian, while Billam-Smith turned pro and has won a world title.
The Bournemouth man has also made a habit of avenging defeat. He relished beating former conqueror Richard Riakporhe in their 2024 rematch, and now he wants to do the same against Clarke
"You wouldn't recognise the amateur boxer I was compared to the pro boxer I am so it's very, very different and that's what I'll be aiming for, a different outcome," Billam-Smith declared.
Clarke however showed how much of a threat he can be in his last fight when he stormed back to finish Massey.
"That makes him more dangerous. To get put down twice in one round, come back. He still carries his power, is fast, got power in all his shots," Billam-Smith reflected.
"Cheavon isn't as intense as Rozicki - I'm not sure that anyone is - in terms of the way he fights. But he carries much more speed, which adds more danger.
"He puts his shots together well, so that makes him threatening for sure," Billam-Smith concluded.
"I've sparred him as well. He's no mug. He knows what he's doing in there, he's always super-fit. He's been hurt in the past, he comes back, looks the part. Never been stopped, he might have been dropped but never been stopped.
"It's a hard night's work, I've got to be 100 percent for it."
Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports. Tickets for ZUFFA BOXING 12 available now via Ticketmaster.
Chris Billam-Smith has an old score to settle when he fights Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena in London next month: "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash!"; Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports
Chris Billam-Smith is on a revenge mission when he fights Cheavon Clarke on November 7.
Billam-Smith takes on Clarke, an old amateur rival, at the Copper Box Arena, live on Sky Sports.
Both men are coming off spectacular wins, with Billam-Smith battling through an exhilarating war with Ryan Rozicki and Clarke rising from the canvas twice to come back and take out Jack Massey, all on the same Bournemouth bill.
But Billam-Smith has a 10-year-old score to settle with Clarke.
Bournemouth's Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result that still rankles.
It was an accolade that Billam-Smith had spent his whole amateur career trying to win.
"To take that away from me it was pretty gutting, I was certain I was going to win it that year," Billam-Smith told Sky Sports.
"It's still that elusive ABA title which he took from me," Billam-Smith continued. "He got the nod, deservedly so, I'm not going to cry about, I'm just going to put it right on November 7."
They boxed twice, with Clarke also beating him in an English Title belt series. "I've got a lot of bitterness inside me which I need to unleash on November 7!" Billam-Smith grinned.
They followed different paths. Clarke took a place on GB and became an Olympian, while Billam-Smith turned pro and has won a world title.
The Bournemouth man has also made a habit of avenging defeat. He relished beating former conqueror Richard Riakporhe in their 2024 rematch, and now he wants to do the same against Clarke
"You wouldn't recognise the amateur boxer I was compared to the pro boxer I am so it's very, very different and that's what I'll be aiming for, a different outcome," Billam-Smith declared.
Clarke however showed how much of a threat he can be in his last fight when he stormed back to finish Massey.
"That makes him more dangerous. To get put down twice in one round, come back. He still carries his power, is fast, got power in all his shots," Billam-Smith reflected.
"Cheavon isn't as intense as Rozicki - I'm not sure that anyone is - in terms of the way he fights. But he carries much more speed, which adds more danger.
"He puts his shots together well, so that makes him threatening for sure," Billam-Smith concluded.
"I've sparred him as well. He's no mug. He knows what he's doing in there, he's always super-fit. He's been hurt in the past, he comes back, looks the part. Never been stopped, he might have been dropped but never been stopped.
"It's a hard night's work, I've got to be 100 percent for it."
Watch Billam-Smith vs Clarke on Saturday November 7 live on Sky Sports. Tickets for ZUFFA BOXING 12 available now via Ticketmaster.
-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
Bentley opts for security after 'no man's land' with Queensberry
Denzel Bentley has explained his decision to leave the “no man’s land” of Queensberry Promotions for a new lease of life at Zuffa Boxing.
The 31-year-old first signed with allegedly and Queensberry in February 2019 when he was an 8-0 prospect.
In the seven years since, Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs) has made 18 appearances. He's won the British title three times, held European honors once, and is currently the WBO middleweight champion.
However, lacking a physical contract with the promotional company left Bentley feeling vulnerable. With a young son back home, Bentley's need for security was clear before approaching what he describes as “the latter stages” of a career that started nine years ago this month.
In stepped Zuffa Boxing, Dana White’s upstart promotional venture, which was more than happy adding Bentley to their already bustling middleweight roster.
“It was definitely hard to walk away after such a long association,” Bentley tells The Ring.
“It has been a long journey with them and you’re also thinking it might be a case of better the devil you know.
“I know Frank and going to the Queensberry office, he's always been nice and kind to me, but ultimately I just had to make a decision for myself. I just had to figure out what was the best decision for me and my family. Essentially, it was just getting a bit quiet.”
Bentley last fought on April 4, when beating Endry Saavedra to claim the vacant WBO interim title. He would eventually be upgraded to full champion in July after Janibek Alimkhanuly relinquished his belt. That clash with Saavedra was his first outing in 16 months and only his fourth since his 2023 defeat to Nathan Heaney.
That 16-month period had become a particular bone of contention for Bentley, the reigning European champion at the time.
Given he was high in the WBO rankings, he was due a world title shot and Warren did not want to jeopardize any world title opportunity by arranging a fight in the interim. Bentley could have sustained injury, suffered defeat or simply been overlooked by the WBO had he been scheduled to fight someone else when they called.
But Bentley, who was in the gym everyday regardless, would have been more than happy to defend his European title and maintain sharpness for whenever the world title fight order came.
In the end, he did become world middleweight champion this year, but his boxing earnings had dried up so considerably that he nearly became an Amazon delivery driver to keep his family afloat.
“Sitting out those 16 months really made me think that if they don't need me, they're not going to use me,” he says.
“Obviously, we hadn't had a contract for a while, and everything was based on handshakes and the relationship between him and my manager.
“I can't say me and Frank had much of a relationship but every time I saw him, he greeted me and made sure that I was all good. I’ve got nothing bad to say about him per se.
“They helped me get my career onto this track that it's on now but at the end of the day, when it came to Queensberry as a whole, I just felt like I wasn't directly in their plans.
“The long lay-off just put a lot of things into perspective for me. I'm here but don't have a contract so they're not really obliged to do anything.
“I'm just in no man's land because I'm not in a position to complain or throw my toys out of the pram; I'm a free agent anyway and can make any decision I want.
“I couldn't just keep living my life like that or having my career in that situation, not knowing what I'm doing with myself. So I just had to make a decision. The whole thing was mentally frying my brain so I’m happy it’s done.”
A few weeks after his victory over Saavedra, the Londoner was made aware of interest from Zuffa Boxing, who at the time were preparing for their first-ever UK show on June 6.
As one of Britain’s most entertaining fighters, Bentley emerged as a key target. That's especially considering the Zuffa roster already boasts IBF middleweight champion Aaron McKenna and Conor Benn, who is expected to operate around 160 pounds upon his return.
“When I spoke to them, the first thing they said to me was, ‘look, you sitting out for 16 months will never happen with us.’
“They said that’s far too long on the shelf. They have all their fights and dates lined up for the year already because they need to know their schedule.
“Obviously Dana White wants to be at every show and has a busy schedule so they need to know when and where they can fit everyone in.
“So they’ve got all these shows and, although they have been making signings, it’s not like they have hundreds of boxers. It means they would have to use all the fighters they have already signed.
“So there was just more stability in the sense that I will be active and, as soon as they announced me signing on Friday, I got a date on November 7. So we're off to a good start, I guess.”
It has been confirmed that Bentley will make his Zuffa Boxing debut against Shane Mosley Jr. at London’s Copper Box Arena as part of the card headlined by Billam-Smith’s clash with amateur rival Chev Clarke.
The show will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Paramount+ in the US.
Bentley has been ordered to defend his WBO title against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez but has appealed to the sanctioniong body, allowing him to face Mosley Jr. as champion first.
At the time of writing, he has had no response and remains champion.
“Ideally I would like to keep my WBO title because I worked hard for it,” he added. “It's not something I'm just trying to throw away. It’s not like I don't want this no more because I want the money. That's not the situation.
“The appeal is going through and hopefully we end up on the right side of it.”
Denzel Bentley has explained his decision to leave the “no man’s land” of Queensberry Promotions for a new lease of life at Zuffa Boxing.
The 31-year-old first signed with allegedly and Queensberry in February 2019 when he was an 8-0 prospect.
In the seven years since, Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs) has made 18 appearances. He's won the British title three times, held European honors once, and is currently the WBO middleweight champion.
However, lacking a physical contract with the promotional company left Bentley feeling vulnerable. With a young son back home, Bentley's need for security was clear before approaching what he describes as “the latter stages” of a career that started nine years ago this month.
In stepped Zuffa Boxing, Dana White’s upstart promotional venture, which was more than happy adding Bentley to their already bustling middleweight roster.
“It was definitely hard to walk away after such a long association,” Bentley tells The Ring.
“It has been a long journey with them and you’re also thinking it might be a case of better the devil you know.
“I know Frank and going to the Queensberry office, he's always been nice and kind to me, but ultimately I just had to make a decision for myself. I just had to figure out what was the best decision for me and my family. Essentially, it was just getting a bit quiet.”
Bentley last fought on April 4, when beating Endry Saavedra to claim the vacant WBO interim title. He would eventually be upgraded to full champion in July after Janibek Alimkhanuly relinquished his belt. That clash with Saavedra was his first outing in 16 months and only his fourth since his 2023 defeat to Nathan Heaney.
That 16-month period had become a particular bone of contention for Bentley, the reigning European champion at the time.
Given he was high in the WBO rankings, he was due a world title shot and Warren did not want to jeopardize any world title opportunity by arranging a fight in the interim. Bentley could have sustained injury, suffered defeat or simply been overlooked by the WBO had he been scheduled to fight someone else when they called.
But Bentley, who was in the gym everyday regardless, would have been more than happy to defend his European title and maintain sharpness for whenever the world title fight order came.
In the end, he did become world middleweight champion this year, but his boxing earnings had dried up so considerably that he nearly became an Amazon delivery driver to keep his family afloat.
“Sitting out those 16 months really made me think that if they don't need me, they're not going to use me,” he says.
“Obviously, we hadn't had a contract for a while, and everything was based on handshakes and the relationship between him and my manager.
“I can't say me and Frank had much of a relationship but every time I saw him, he greeted me and made sure that I was all good. I’ve got nothing bad to say about him per se.
“They helped me get my career onto this track that it's on now but at the end of the day, when it came to Queensberry as a whole, I just felt like I wasn't directly in their plans.
“The long lay-off just put a lot of things into perspective for me. I'm here but don't have a contract so they're not really obliged to do anything.
“I'm just in no man's land because I'm not in a position to complain or throw my toys out of the pram; I'm a free agent anyway and can make any decision I want.
“I couldn't just keep living my life like that or having my career in that situation, not knowing what I'm doing with myself. So I just had to make a decision. The whole thing was mentally frying my brain so I’m happy it’s done.”
A few weeks after his victory over Saavedra, the Londoner was made aware of interest from Zuffa Boxing, who at the time were preparing for their first-ever UK show on June 6.
As one of Britain’s most entertaining fighters, Bentley emerged as a key target. That's especially considering the Zuffa roster already boasts IBF middleweight champion Aaron McKenna and Conor Benn, who is expected to operate around 160 pounds upon his return.
“When I spoke to them, the first thing they said to me was, ‘look, you sitting out for 16 months will never happen with us.’
“They said that’s far too long on the shelf. They have all their fights and dates lined up for the year already because they need to know their schedule.
“Obviously Dana White wants to be at every show and has a busy schedule so they need to know when and where they can fit everyone in.
“So they’ve got all these shows and, although they have been making signings, it’s not like they have hundreds of boxers. It means they would have to use all the fighters they have already signed.
“So there was just more stability in the sense that I will be active and, as soon as they announced me signing on Friday, I got a date on November 7. So we're off to a good start, I guess.”
It has been confirmed that Bentley will make his Zuffa Boxing debut against Shane Mosley Jr. at London’s Copper Box Arena as part of the card headlined by Billam-Smith’s clash with amateur rival Chev Clarke.
The show will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Paramount+ in the US.
Bentley has been ordered to defend his WBO title against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez but has appealed to the sanctioniong body, allowing him to face Mosley Jr. as champion first.
At the time of writing, he has had no response and remains champion.
“Ideally I would like to keep my WBO title because I worked hard for it,” he added. “It's not something I'm just trying to throw away. It’s not like I don't want this no more because I want the money. That's not the situation.
“The appeal is going through and hopefully we end up on the right side of it.”
Re: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
Just been on to see how tickets are going - 3 weeks away and I’d say 30% of tickets available sold and the upper tier is closed anyway. Wow! 
-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
Cheavon Clarke vs Chris Billam-Smith: 'C4' set for all-British cruiserweight bout at Copper Box Arena
Cheavon Clarke and Chris Billam-Smith resume their rivalry in the professional ranks as the main event on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports
Cheavon Clarke insists he does not care about the amateur fight that Chris Billam-Smith finds "hard to watch".
Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result which the Bournemouth fighter believes denied him a place in the Team GB boxing squad.
The British cruiserweight duo will resume their rivalry in the professional ranks as the main event on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports.
But Clarke, who also defeated Billam-Smith in an English title belt series, told Sky Sports: "I beat him twice [as an amateur], but I haven't got any hook-ups on it.
"Maybe he has. We're professionals now and it's a new era."
Clarke went on to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics, while Billam-Smith secured his ultimate achievement as a professional when he had a spell as the WBO world champion.
But the 36-year-old has admitted he is still irritated by his defeat a decade ago to Clarke.
Watching back footage, Billam-Smith said: "At the time I thought I had done enough to win it, but he's the aggressor, he hit me with some good shots.
"What I will say is the style there is a lot different to my style now. I look so frail and upright. It's very different to how I box now, but it was great, it was a great learning curve for me.
"But that was very much the beginning of the end of my amateur career. Obviously I had GB assessments off the back of it, but he got on and I didn't after he beat me. They were going to choose him on the GB team.
"It's hard to watch back but also gives me that fire in the belly."
Clarke climbed off the canvas twice before dramatically halting Jack Massey in his last fight in June.
But he insists his boxing intelligence along with his battling spirit will be crucial in the fight with Billam-Smith.
"I didn't learn nothing new about myself in Bournemouth," he said. "I know that once I'm in the ring or when I'm in any situation, you've got to stop me to stop me. If you get me down, you got to keep me down.
"Billam-Smith is notoriously tough, but boxing is not a game to be tough. It's not a tough person's sport. It's a smart person's sport, so we'll see."
Cheavon Clarke and Chris Billam-Smith resume their rivalry in the professional ranks as the main event on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports
Cheavon Clarke insists he does not care about the amateur fight that Chris Billam-Smith finds "hard to watch".
Billam-Smith lost to Clarke in the final of the national elite amateur championships in 2016, a result which the Bournemouth fighter believes denied him a place in the Team GB boxing squad.
The British cruiserweight duo will resume their rivalry in the professional ranks as the main event on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports.
But Clarke, who also defeated Billam-Smith in an English title belt series, told Sky Sports: "I beat him twice [as an amateur], but I haven't got any hook-ups on it.
"Maybe he has. We're professionals now and it's a new era."
Clarke went on to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics, while Billam-Smith secured his ultimate achievement as a professional when he had a spell as the WBO world champion.
But the 36-year-old has admitted he is still irritated by his defeat a decade ago to Clarke.
Watching back footage, Billam-Smith said: "At the time I thought I had done enough to win it, but he's the aggressor, he hit me with some good shots.
"What I will say is the style there is a lot different to my style now. I look so frail and upright. It's very different to how I box now, but it was great, it was a great learning curve for me.
"But that was very much the beginning of the end of my amateur career. Obviously I had GB assessments off the back of it, but he got on and I didn't after he beat me. They were going to choose him on the GB team.
"It's hard to watch back but also gives me that fire in the belly."
Clarke climbed off the canvas twice before dramatically halting Jack Massey in his last fight in June.
But he insists his boxing intelligence along with his battling spirit will be crucial in the fight with Billam-Smith.
"I didn't learn nothing new about myself in Bournemouth," he said. "I know that once I'm in the ring or when I'm in any situation, you've got to stop me to stop me. If you get me down, you got to keep me down.
"Billam-Smith is notoriously tough, but boxing is not a game to be tough. It's not a tough person's sport. It's a smart person's sport, so we'll see."
-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Cheavon Clarke | Sky Sports - 7 November 2026
WBO DENIES DENZEL BENTLEY APPEAL
The WBO Complaint and Grievance Committee has denied Denzel Bentley’s appeal and affirmed that he must defend his middleweight title against Yoenli Hernández next. 
Bentley and YoYo have 24 hours to confirm whether they'll proceed. Bentley is scheduled to fight Shane Mosley Jr. on Nov. 7. He is expected to go through with that bout and be stripped of his title.-
Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 105250
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59