Fight club! Why boxing and football will always be intrinsically linked

Why are boxing and football so intrinsically linked? When it comes to skill sets, the two pastimes are worlds apart. One requires dexterity with the feet, the other mesmerising hand speed. There are few attributes, aside from maybe lightness on your toes, that could be considered transferable.

This is not a bond based on visual appearance and individual talent, it is one rooted in societal structure and hierarchical class systems. For many, gloves and boots offer a way out, an escape from reality, emotional release and a family of sorts in which to become a cherished member.

While both sports may now be awash with money, each was born in less glamorous surroundings with working-class values dictating what they are and should always be. It is those ties that will never be broken.

Former WBO cruiserweight world title holder Chris Billam-Smith admits as much, with the fanatical Bournemouth supporter telling GOAL when asked for his take on the bonds that bind two of his sporting passions: “It's a good question. They're definitely two sports that bring the same sort of fans, I think.

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“I think boxing fans are always passionate because usually they watch the football in the day and then go and watch the boxing. So they're always a little bit more inebriated and a little bit more lively than they even are at the football games! But the passion is always there. And I think when fans get behind a British fighter, or just the British fight scene, they show that they carry that passion that they have from football across to the fighters.”

Pressed further on whether so many boxers are dedicated football fans because it is those institutions that sit at the heart of any given community and help to bring people from every walk of life together, Billam-Smith added: “I feel that's definitely the story for me in terms of AFC Bournemouth being the heart of the community, the heart of the town, a huge inspiration for the town in the way they've gone about everything over the last 10-15 years. And I've drawn inspiration from that as well. So it's great to be a part of that town. And obviously the club have been fantastic with me and really got behind me and supported me.”

Billam-Smith, in the same way that Bournemouth’s footballing class of 2026-27 have earned vociferous backing, is fully deserving of the support network that he has built - one that now stands at several thousand and counting.

He said of reaching that point courtesy of a mindset shared with elite footballers that sees cream rise to the top as pressure and expectation mount, with only a select few able to handle those demands without wilting: “I think it's something that does get spoken about, but I think it's underestimated in all walks of life. It's the mindset that gets anyone to the top of any field, I believe, especially in sport.

“I think people talk about talent and all these things, but talent can be overrated. And I think if you have it at too early a stage and you're talented as a youngster, I think a lot of times it can ruin people because they get hung up on it and they think they don't need to train or need to improve or whatever it is. So I think it's important to always have a strong mindset and that's what will get people to the end.”

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Billam-Smith, at 36 years of age and with a 24-fight resume that includes 22 victories and 14 knockouts, is now well versed in the demands of trading punches and shaking off bone-crunching body shots.

Plenty of footballers believe that they could do likewise, with there a growing market and audience for exhibition events that have featured the likes of ex-England international David Bentley, showboat king Lee Trundle, former Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong and Newcastle academy graduate Nile Ranger.

Asked about the kind of characters that he most enjoys watching - with physical specimens such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland not always being preferred to the more dogged qualities of Bournemouth vice-captain Lewis Cook and USMNT star Tyler Adams - Billam-Smith said: “In terms of footballers who I'd rather watch, I do love a gritty midfielder, to be honest. I guess because I can relate to it the most in my career, the way I'm not the boxer with the most finesse and pretty on the eye in terms of boxing skill, but there's a tenacity there, there's an energy there, there's an intensity. I love that.

“Lewis Cook for Bournemouth has been that over the years. Tyler Adams now as well, watching them two play together. Recently they both played in that holding midfield position and it was a joy to watch. But I have massive respect for your Ronaldos and your Haalands, the way they live their life. It seems that they're very on it with trying to find those minor percentages to improve.”

He went on to say when asked about huge names in football that might fancy trading boots for gloves, with many having indulged in various forms of combat sport training down the years: “I remember seeing Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] on a punch bag before. I've seen Sergio Ramos, I think he's got some hands. Who knows? I can't imagine they'll ever feel the need to get into a boxing ring, but you never know with the way the world is. One day we might have a Premier League boxing match, who knows?”

Billam-Smith is flying a flag at present that has previously passed through some illustrious hands. British boxing history is littered with fables of belt-winning heroes that boasted huge numbers of football followers within their respective fan bases.

That list includes Mancunian legend and City fanatic, the late, great Ricky Hatton, super-middleweight king and Nottingham Forest supporter Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch, Yorkshire-based superstars Josh Warrington (Leeds United) and Kell Brook (Sheffield United) and two-weight world champion Carl Frampton - who is passionate about Crusaders in his native Northern Ireland.

Asked about adding his name to a list loaded with iconic figures, Billam-Smith said: “One of my fights, I think it was the [Isaac] Chamberlain fight when we went down to Bournemouth for the first time, one of the commentators said it was reminiscent of Ricky Hatton. And that was one of the biggest honours I could have had, because I loved watching Ricky and his fan base.

“I don't think I'll be able to take 20,000 over to Vegas, but it's an absolute honour to be even mentioned in the same bracket as Ricky. For me, I started boxing at 16, but the first fight I ever stayed up for, to the early hours of the morning to watch, was Ricky against Kostya Tszyu. I would have been 14 at the time, but it was a huge inspiration for me. So to be compared to him and the guys that you've mentioned there and being in that bracket is a real honour.”

Hatton fought at the Etihad Stadium, Brook at Bramall Lane and Warrington at Elland Road. Billam-Smith got the chance to live his boyhood dream in May 2023 when facing Lawrence Okolie at the Vitality Stadium. The most memorable of nights saw the hometown hero capture the WBO cruiserweight strap.

Quizzed on what that experience was like, with not everybody getting the football stadium treatment - Froch and fellow Nottingham slugger Leigh Wood never got to step out at the City Ground - Billam-Smith said: “I don't think I'll ever have the words to express how amazing it was and how grateful I am to get that opportunity.

“A lot of things fell into place, from the club, from the promoters, from everyone who worked hard, from me and my team as well. And then even Lawrence as an opponent, we were struggling for an opponent. So the other world champions were being hard to get and basically weren't up for it. We obviously got Lawrence there in the end and that's what made it for a world title. So it was a really special, special night. It'll always be the favourite boxing memory in my career. It'd be impossible to top. I'm very grateful to get that opportunity.”

The turf which housed Billam-Smith’s ring that night has since played host to some stunning nights in a footballing capacity. Having returned to the Premier League in 2022, the Cherries have steadily climbed into the top six of English football.

A slightly surreal run of late saw them beat Serie A giants AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League, overcome Manchester United by the same scoreline in their next outing and seal a Carabao Cup quarter-final berth when easing past Aston Villa.

Picking out his favourite memories, with it often suggested that the journey is better than the final destination when it comes to top-flight endeavours, Billam-Smith said: “I think when you're first time getting promoted to the Premier League after surviving a minus 17 points deficit, that was just overwhelming. And then to be where we are now with Bill Foley as owner. He wanted us to get into Europe within five years and we did it. And to see the club through that, the memories were epic. But the memories now are also pretty epic. I feel like we're definitely riding the crest of a wave.

“The first season in Europe so far, we’ve won every game. Hopefully we'll get through the groups and do a proper knockout phase competition in Europe, which is what dreams are made of as a Bournemouth fan. As a 12-year-old kid, when we were in League Two, I would have never thought I'd be saying those words. Just never expected us to play AC Milan in a competitive match, let alone beat them 3-0. And then follow that up with another 3-0 against United.

“Some of the Premier League wins have been epic over the years, but the big wins and the big clubs that we've beaten, we've become more accustomed to, but now we're in Europe as well, it's just another step up. Let's see what happens this season. I think the biggest thing for the fans is just trying to soak it up and enjoy it. We are very aware of where we've been and that we are very fortunate to be in this position.”

While keeping a close eye on events at the Vitality Stadium, Billam-Smith’s main focus at present is locked on a clash with former Olympian and Commonwealth Games medalist Cheavon Clarke at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday.

The pair know each other well, having met on a couple of occasions in the amateur ranks, with Clarke boasting a 2-0 record in their head-to-head battle. The fighting pride of Bournemouth intends to pick up his first ‘W’ when returning to the English capital.

Billam-Smith said of how his preparations have gone: “It's been good. There's always ups and downs in camp, but it's been good. It's a fight that I never thought would happen in the pros. He was obviously in the Olympics in 2021. I think I was already, by the time the Olympics had finished, British, Commonwealth and European champion. So you'd think it would take a while to get to this stage. But we are where we are now and it's an opportunity for me to get a win over him, which in the amateurs I was obviously gutted about.

“I definitely feel much more prepared now to beat him. It's basically a different sport, professional boxing compared to the amateurs. I think I've adapted really well to the pro game, and I think that's shown over the years. And it's another domestic fight, which people always like to properly get their teeth stuck into. They enjoy a domestic clash. I've always enjoyed being involved in domestic clashes over the years. So another one on Saturday and I'm looking forward to it.”

If he can overcome Clarke, then another world title shot cannot be ruled out for Billam-Smith. He admits that 2027 could become “pretty epic” for sport in Bournemouth, with glittering prizes up for grabs in boxing and football circles. It would be some story if major honours can be collected by favourite sporting sons on the south coast, with those tales helping to further strengthen the links between those that throw hands and their fleet-footed contemporaries.

Zuffa Boxing returns to London's Copper Box Arena on Saturday, November 7, with an all-British cruiserweight main event, as former world champion Chris Billam-Smith faces Olympian Chev Clarke. Tickets are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.