ENGLISH cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley, 12-0 (7 KOs), is finally set to take on Isaac Chamberlain, 16-3 (8 KOs), in a long-awaited domestic dust-up. Ahead of the bout, Riley has admitted that there is a standout key to victory that he must put into practice come fight night.
Riley was linked to a clash with then British cruiserweight Chamberlain last Spring, after both men scored unanimous-decision victories over Mikael Lawal, with either Riley or Cheavon Clarke expected to become the latest challenger for Chamberlain’s Lonsdale Belt.
However, Brixton-born Chamberlain instead opted to vacate his strap in pursuit of a shot at the vacant EBU European title against Jack Massey, entering the ring as the bookmaker’s favourite having only lost to eventual world champions Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith prior.
Yet, it was Massey who came out on top and moved on to an unsuccessful challenge for Jai Opetaia’s IBF world title, whilst Chamberlain was left without a belt to his name.
Now, the 30-year-old is set to drop back down in levels to challenge for Riley’s English title, and the well-supported champion, whilst full of respect for his upcoming opponent, told Boxing News of his belief that Chamberlain has only accepted the fight due to a lack of alternative options.
“It is not a fight that he [Chamberlain] has wanted at any stage, it is just a fight that he has to have now because there is no other fight that is going to create this level of attention.
“He comes to fight, he is tough, he doesn’t go down easy. People haven’t seen that side of me because no-one has brought that out of me, but maybe on February 1 you will see it, maybe you won’t – either way it’s going to be a good fight.”
After coming up short against Massey, Chamberlain is hopeful that a switch to train under Adam Booth, who previously guided David Haye and Andy Lee to world titles, could get him back to winning ways.
Although, despite the appointment of Booth, undefeated Riley has declared his opinion that Chamberlain will eventually ‘revert to type’ under pressure, adding the importance of adapting to any new style implemented by Booth early on.
“Whatever he does on the day, I am going to adapt to. He is going to bring something different, he has got a new trainer, we know he is with Adam Booth and Adam Booth is a great strategist, so he is going to have a strategy that he is going to try and follow.
“When I get on top he is going to break because, under pressure, people revert to type, and he is going to revert to type at some point, but he is going to try and execute a new game plan, which I am excited to see.”
Riley-Chamberlain will take place as the highlight of the undercard when Adam Azim, 12-0 (9 KOs), challenges former IBF champion, Sergey Lipinets, 18-3-1 (13 KOs), for the IBO super-lightweight world title on Saturday, February 1 at Wembley Arena, live on Sky Sports.
