ISAAC CHAMBERLAIN is no longer the British cruiserweight champion.
The 30-year-old, who is managed and promoted by Hennessy Sports, has vacated the title and exercised his right as mandatory challenger for the European title currently held by Michal Cieslak, 25-2 (19).
Chamberlain, 16-2 (8), outclassed Mikael Lawal last October to win the Lonsdale belt in what was the biggest win of his career. Since then he and English champion Viddal Riley have been involved in some verbal jousting which exploded after Riley’s own win against Lawal on March 31. Afterwards Riley spoke to Sky Sports at ringside but was quickly flanked by Chamberlain. Their heated conversation was then interrupted by British cruiserweight title mandatory challenger Cheavon Clarke. It didn’t take long for the situation to combust forcing the Sky Sports cameras to cut back to broadcast host Anna Woolhouse.
In a statement issued today (April 10) by Hennessy Sports, Chamberlain said: “The European title is the only title I’ve challenged for that I’ve not added to my collection. I want to test myself. I want to continue dethroning champions, and now Michal Cieslak stands in my way of becoming European champion. I respect him. I respect his power. I respect what he’s achieved, but when we step in the ring there will be a new champion.”
Cieslak, just like Chamberlain, is a former world title challenger but has come up short on two occasions against Ilunga Makabu (in 2020) and Lawrence Okolie (in 2022). The 34-year-old Pole picked up the EBU title 12 months ago knocking out Dylan Bregeon – who Chamberlain defeated over eight rounds last summer – before making a successful first defence against Ireland’s Tommy McCarthy in November.
With the next British Boxing Board of Control circular due to be released in the coming days it remains to be seen if Clarke (promoted by Matchroom) and Riley (promoted by Boxxer) will square off for the now vacant British cruiserweight title.
